The Titanic Visitor Centre is Ireland‘s biggest and most popular tourist attraction, exploring the sights, sounds, smells and stories of this iconic ship. A key feature of this impressive building is an architecturally stunning roof, which mimics the bow of a boat whilst also housing drainage and a 56,000 litre rainwater harvesting system, hidden from view but working perfectly thanks to Geberit’s siphonic Pluvia solution and HDPE pipework.

The roof is geometrically complex, with in-built dams crossing two 60 metre long gutters, enabling water to collect about Pluvia’s siphonic outlet before cascading into the next dam. Angus Waddington, from Todd Architects, which designed the building, explained why Pluvia was the right solution:

"Conventional gravity outlets would not have been feasible with the volume of water collected and channelled into the ‘flumes’ and a traditional weir overflow couldn’t be formed without interrupting the facade geometry and spoiling the form of the building.

“To combat these issues, an additional overflow system was installed. Geberit rose to the challenge of solving these potential issues and seemed to relish the opportunity to do something ‘different’. They were fully supportive, providing technical assistance and calculations to review the unusual performance criteria.”

“The project was extremely demanding, due to the complicated geometry of the building and the fact it was ‘fast-tracked’, meaning that the design and construction proceeded in parallel. Geberit’s products and their team proved extremely flexible, providing a drainage solution to a truly unique roof,” he concluded.

Constructed using a range of ground-breaking techniques, the building has a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and, as well as rainwater harvesting, includes a other sustainable strategies, such as tri-generation CHP plant. Geberit’s HDPE contributed to this remit, as the pipe is made from High Density Polythene, a simple compound of carbon and hydrogen atoms which is harmless to the environment and completely recyclable.

Proving their credentials as innovators, the Titanic Belfast showcases Geberit’s ability to support leading-edge design and environmental strategies.