Antrim Civic Centre is the home of Antrim Borough Council and the heart of the local community.

It is an impressive building offering a bright, modern and comfortable suite of conference and meeting rooms, with excellent accessibility and facilities. All the rooms are available for hire - anything from conferences up to 100 people to small one to one meetings or interviews - and at very competitive prices. The Civic Centre is conveniently located on Stiles Way, Antrim, within easy reach of motorway links and local airports.

The building takes a "T" shaped form with the front façade having office wings both sides of a curved entrance area. The two floors of offices have floor to ceiling glazing. The walls are made of Portland stone, Mourne granite and zinc panelling. The Portland stone comes from the "Whitbread" layer of stone from Portland in Dorset. The Mourne granite is used as a plinth all around the building and also as a backdrop to the raised lawns and seating in the Wedding Garden. This granite was the last granite to be quarried out of the Mourne Mountains.

The building fully exploits daylight and natural ventilation. Approximately 60-65% of the building façade is glazed in order to optimise the energy costs of heating (and cooling) against savings in electrical energy for lighting. The lighting adjusts to the amount of natural light in the building, so saving on electricity.

GROUND FLOOR

Foyer

The structural curved glazing at the entrance allows passing visitors to see into the foyer and the lighting around the reception desk means that this area is clearly seen from the road. A welcome awaits all visitors to Antrim Civic Centre with the reception desk being the focal point of the foyer.

Spiral Stairs

The main internal spiral staircase is placed in a prominent position around a curved lift-shaft within the foyer. The lift has glazed doors and screen to the rear which allows visitors clear views through the building.

Steeple Suite

The Steeple Suite can be used as one large room or divided in two for smaller meetings. The teaching wall incorporates a 'Smart Board' and can run computer and DVD presentations.

Whinstone Suite

Wedding Gardens The Marriage Suite, known as The Whinstone Suite and Registrar's Office are linked and have their own separate entrance, which leads out to the Wedding Garden.

Cafe 4 U

Café 4 U is open to the public and can provide catering for you meeting or event. The double doors lead out to a terraced area, which can be used during the summer months.

FIRST FLOOR

Civic Suite

The main corridor leads to the Council Chamber with the Mayor's Parlour, Members' Room and various meeting rooms leading off it.

Round Tower Chamber

The Council Chamber is a Council 'In the Round' and has been designed for 54 people. Directly above the main doors is a copy of a lintel (showing mermaids and a shell), which was originally above the door at Antrim Castle.
Directly opposite and recessed into the bay is a replica of the main stone crest from Antrim Castle. This crest was said to be the basis of the modern day Antrim Crest. The Council Chamber has all the modern day requirements of a conference room as well as a chamber with IT facilities and microphones at each desk and a lectern and projectors, which can facilitate computer and DVD presentations.

ARTWORK

To coincide with the opening of the Civic Centre, a collection of art was assembled for the public areas of the building, featuring the work of artists from throughout Northern Ireland but with special emphasis on artists connected with Antrim Borough. Examples include:

The Stained Glass by local artist-David Esler picks up elements of the Antrim Borough Crest and local area. Elements included in the inner ring are Corn depicting rural areas; Shuttle depicting the textile industry;Round Tower linking to early settlement in the area and a famous historical landmark in the town of Antrim;Barbican Gate in Market Square; The Swan which is a reference to Lough Neagh and The Alder Tree which is a reference to Aldergrove. The leaves fanning out into the outer ring of the feature suggests the blossoming of a new era for Antrim Borough. They also balance the motto of Antrim Borough Per Augusta Ad Angusta- Through Hard Times to Prosperity.

The Battle of Antrim Tapestry Artwork. Textile artist Frankie Creith worked with pupils from Antrim High School, Parkhall High School, St Malachy's High School and St. Olcan's High School, Randalstown, to create an interpretative public artwork telling the story of the Battle of Antrim. These have been copied and reduced in size to form this representation of the original work.

Antrim Castle Stone Carvings. The collection of stone carvings has been reproduced from the originals which made up the elaborate doorcase of Antrim Castle. They contain some of the coats of arms and various other heraldic and historical images relating to the Massereene family.

Antrim In The Round by Anushiya Sundaralingham. This set of copper-plate etchings depicts a number of the Borough's key heritage sites and important historical buildings.