Barrie Todd, a Belfast-born architect who arrived in the world on 28th February 1944, was enamoured with music from a young age, distinctly so for a boy of his era. He was an amateur musician, trying his hand at songwriting as well, one of his tunes even seeing national acclaim when Twink performed it on RTÉ during the National Song Contest. Despite the song not winning and Barrie’s songwriting career never taking off, he did not let his creativity go unchecked.
In 1976, a previously underappreciated warehouse on Hill Street in Belfast’s interior was purchased by Barrie. He decided to shift his budding architectural firm there. Barrie was convinced that the city needed a pulse of commercial activity inside its core, and with him in this belief was an aspiring restaurateur Nick Price. Todd Architects and Nick’s Warehouse became the seeds that eventually sprouted the Cathedral Quarter, an area now teeming with life and activity.
Barrie felt at home on Hill Street. He revelled in the presence of people and he imbued his team with the understanding that work and enjoyment need not be separate. His vision led to groundbreaking projects like The Boat, the towering monolith in Queen’s Square, and the novel Belfast Children’s Hospital complete with a central “street” for children to engage in play.
Barrie was greatly vested in the arts and was instrumental in the founding of the Metropolitan Arts Centre, or the MAC, situated in the Cathedral Quarter. His contribution to architecture earned him presidency of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects and he was bestowed the title of professor at Queen’s University Belfast in 2007.
The year 2010 brought heartbreak for Barrie when his daughter Jill, a budding photographer, succumbed to cancer at just 23. He turned this grief into a driving force for change, establishing the Jill Todd Trust to facilitate cancer research and nurture young photographers.
His death on June 14th was conveyed through his son Iain’s Facebook page, where numerous messages of condolences were received, many from those who had been beneficiaries of the Trust’s support.
Barrie was a relentless champion for contemporary architecture, advocating for premium designs and their positive impact on our daily life. “He has made an unerasable impression on both the inhabitants and the constructed surroundings he was part of,” as mentioned in a Facebook post.
Music was a constant in Barrie’s life, with his admiration for Joe Cocker being particularly notable. At his funeral in Hillsborough on June 19th, Joe’s voice filled the church, singing Dylan’s song ‘Girl from the North Country’ as the coffin was escorted in.
In recognition of his contributions to architecture, Barrie received an MBE in 2008. During his visit to Buckingham Palace to accept this honour, he had the delightful experience of meeting another distinguished guest of the day, Joe Cocker.
Barrie’s legacy is carried forward by his wife Trish, their sons Chris and Iain, and three grandchildren.