The Bank Buildings is a Grade B1-listed five-storey building located at the intersection of Castle Street and Royal Avenue in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was designed and built between 1899 and 1900 by W. H. Lynn as a department store and warehouse, owned by the firm of Robertson, Ledlie, Ferguson & Co. It stands on the site of a bank erected in 1785, from which it takes its name. Since 1979, it has been owned by the Dublin-based company Primark, and serves as their flagship store in Northern Ireland. On 28 August 2018, during a £30 million two-year renovation, the building was gutted by fire, severely damaging most of the internal structure. Primark opted to restore the building to its 1900 appearance while expanding the size of the store. The store reopened on 1 November 2022. History First building The first Bank Buildings was a three-storey building designed by Sir Robert Taylor and erected by Waddell Cunningham between 1785 and 1787, known as Cunningham’s Bank. The bank closed in 1798 and the building was converted to residential use, becoming the residence of the Church of Ireland bishop of Down and Connor, Rev. Dr. William Dickson. The site of the bank was known as a place for public executions, with the last execution being carried out in 1816, on the doorstep of the building. Second building In 1853, the store became home to a wholesale drapery firm. The original building was replaced in 1855 by a four-storey building for Hawkins, Robertson & Co. The business was formed into a limited liability company in 1880. Founded by businessmen William Robertson and Henry Hawkins (Waterford), J. C. Ledlie (Cork), and Robert Ferguson (Belfast), the business soon expanded and became a commercial department store. Third building The best known Bank Buildings were constructed between 1899 and 1900. The architect W. H. Lynn allowed for large plate glass windows to be installed in the lower floors. The department store continued to operate on the first two floors whilst the upper floors were used as a warehouse for the wholesale side of the business. The building remained under the ownership of Robertson, Ledlie, Ferguson & Co. until the House of Fraser group took control of the company in 1969. The department store still continued to operate from Bank Buildings until Boots took over from House of Fraser. Boots was then forced to move out in 1975.