Cul-de-sac

In Belfast people are extremely polite to their visitors. They show genuine interest in you. They are humble and far from being pretentious. Within the city centre you’ll find all major chain stores, luxury cars, expensive restaurants and all those attributes of a contemporary European city.

All seems to be well. Conflict? Troubles? No, not in the city centre. Stepping out of the core of Belfast, though, and going into surrounding neighbourhoods reveals quite different story. Murals painted with political messages, high fences, police fortresses, concrete peace walls — all part of a defensive city planing contributing in sustaining the peace. All of them are obvious in their appearance and function they serve for. All but one — the cul-de-sac, a dead-end street with residential houses around it.

What was initially designed for having a peaceful and calm family life, during the trouble times served to the same complex defensive system. Since it had only one way in, there was only one way out.