Here is the first glimpse of what the new iconic Titanic Belfast building will look like inside.

Opening in April 2012, the £100m structure in the Titanic Quarter, east Belfast, will be the largest man-made tourist attraction in Northern Ireland’s history.

The people behind the building believe the “spirit that built Titanic is reborn”.

Six floors and nine interpretative and interactive galleries tell Titanic’s story from conception to construction and launch, to its maiden voyage and tragic loss.

The images reveal the impressive 25,000sq ft entrance hall and a 60ft high wall covered in sheet metal panels similar in size to those used on Titanic’s hull that tourists will walk through.

Visitors will pass through the gates to join a ride that will take them on a tour of the shipyard as it was in 1911.

The ticketing desks duplicate wooden keel blocks similar to those on which Titanic’s massive 46,328 tonnes rested in the Thompson Dock.

The images show the restored Harland & Wolff shipyard gates located in a gallery dedicated to an exploration of boomtown Belfast of the 1900s. Interactive exhibitions such as a fly-through of the ship, recreations of Titanic’s sumptuous interiors and a glass floor which surveys Titanic’s wreck, using never seen before images.

Some of the technology used is so advanced it has been specifically adopted from complex 3D imaging tools more commonly found in the biotech industry.

The attraction will also include Northern Ireland’s largest banqueting and conference facility, designed on a theme reminiscent of the grandeur of the Titanic.

And a glass-fronted suite located on the building’s top floor will provide panoramic views across the city and Belfast Lough.

Titanic Belfast is funded by the Northern Ireland Executive, Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour and Titanic Quarter Ltd

Factfile

There will be nine interpretative and interactive galleries:

• Boomtown Belfast
• Arrol Gantry/Shipyard Ride
• The Launch
• The Fit Out
• The Maiden Voyage
• The Sinking
• The Aftermath
• Myths & Legends
• Titanic Beneath

Additional space will have:

• Arts/education facilities
• Gallery for exhibitions, performances and meetings
• Cafes, restaurants, shops
• Astor Suite (750-suite banqueting/conference centre)