Christchurch Centre of Excellence, College Square North, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT1 6AS

Christchurch Centre of Excellence is a free-standing, symmetrical Greek Revival church built around 1833 to the designs of William Farrell. Originally a Church of Ireland building, it now serves as an educational centre following its conversion in 2003 by Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust and Royal Belfast Academical Institution after being gutted by fire in 1996. The building forms part of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution complex and occupies a prominent corner site on College Square North, with its west elevation fronting onto Durham Street.

The building is rectangular in plan, facing north. Its roof is pitched natural slate with black clay ridge tiles, with a lower pitched roof to a rear gabled projection. Replacement ogee-moulded iron guttering sits on a sandstone ashlar eaves course, fitted with iron box hoppers and downpipes.

The front elevation is constructed of sandstone ashlar and displays a symmetrical three-bay arrangement. A distyle Ionic portico in antis forms the focal point, with giant Ionic order columns flanked by Doric antae supporting the entablature. The columns respond to corner piers framing the entire elevation. Above runs a lead-lined blocking course over the cornice and entablature, advanced to the portico. The portico features ruled-and-lined lime rendered walls, a plain triangular pediment to the central doorcase with lugged architrave surrounds, and replacement double-leaf timber panelled doors with overlight. The side entrances have lugged architraves with plain frieze and cornice. Square-headed window and door openings across the front carry sandstone architrave surrounds and replacement 6/6 timber sash windows.

The side elevations are constructed of hand-made redbrick laid in Flemish bond, with a sandstone ashlar plinth course and frieze. Window openings are set within shallow double-height round-headed recesses with moulded archivolts rising from a continuous impost moulding. Round-headed windows to the upper level and segmental-headed windows to the lower level all have sandstone sills and multi-pane steel windows. The east and west side elevations are five windows wide. A single segmental-headed door opening to the south end of the east elevation has double-leaf timber panelled doors and a louvred overpanel.

The south rear elevation is abutted by a full-height gabled projection and flanked by flat-roofed projections built around 2003. A double-height round-headed glazed entrance with sandstone ashlar surround features a multi-pane steel window with incorporated fanlight, double-leaf timber panelled and glazed doors, and sidelights. The flanking blocks have plain sandstone parapet and cornice with a pair of diminutive segmental-headed window openings containing 2/2 timber sash windows.

The building sits on a corner site with stone paving to the front area and cobblelock to the side and rear, all enclosed by replacement iron railings on a low redbrick plinth wall with matching gates. A rear entrance opens onto a raised paved platform accessed by three steps and a universal access ramp.