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Architecture of Cardiff
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Architecture of Cardiff
Architecture in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, dates from Norman times to the present day. Its urban fabric is largely Victorian and later, reflecting Cardiff's rise to prosperity as a major coal port in the 19th century. No single building style is associated with Cardiff, but the city centre retains several 19th and early 20th century shopping arcades.
The city is noted for its fantasy castles, Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch, both by the Victorian architect William Burges. The well-preserved early 20th century Civic Centre, surrounding Cathays Park, was described as one of the best examples of civic planning in Britain.
The city contains a number of notable modern buildings and engineering projects. These include the Millennium Stadium (1999) in the city centre and several examples in the major urban regeneration project of Cardiff Bay, for example the Wales Millennium Centre and the Senedd.
The western suburb of St Fagans contains an open-air museum of Welsh vernacular architecture, the St Fagans National History Museum.
The common building materials of Cardiff's Victorian and Edwardian buildings are Bath stone, blue Pennant stone and red brick – except in Cathays Park, where Portland stone predominates. Grey Lias stone features heavily in the construction of the city's medieval buildings (the keep of Cardiff Castle, Llandaff Cathedral and St John the Baptist's church), but is absent from later buildings. Two recent buildings in Cardiff Bay, the Senedd and the Wales Millennium Centre, make conspicuous use of Welsh slate together with glass and steel.
Perhaps the most noted individual building in the city is Cardiff Castle, a fortress of Roman foundation with a ruined 12th-century medieval keep and exterior walls. After Cardiff Castle, the oldest remaining building in the city centre is St John's Parish Church, which dates from the 12th century but was almost totally reconstructed during the 15th century. It has a fine Perpendicular style nave and tower.
The medieval town walls were removed as the town developed and nowadays only two very small sections remain. The modernised Womanby Street is one of the few remaining original medieval streets, that lead from the town's original quay to the castle.
Two monastic buildings existed in Cardiff, Greyfriars (demolished for Capital Tower) and Blackfriars, established in the late 13th century. Greyfriars was converted into a family mansion but was demolished to make way for a carpark and office block during the 20th century. The foundations of Blackfriars can still be seen in Bute Park.
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Architecture of Cardiff
Architecture in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, dates from Norman times to the present day. Its urban fabric is largely Victorian and later, reflecting Cardiff's rise to prosperity as a major coal port in the 19th century. No single building style is associated with Cardiff, but the city centre retains several 19th and early 20th century shopping arcades.
The city is noted for its fantasy castles, Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch, both by the Victorian architect William Burges. The well-preserved early 20th century Civic Centre, surrounding Cathays Park, was described as one of the best examples of civic planning in Britain.
The city contains a number of notable modern buildings and engineering projects. These include the Millennium Stadium (1999) in the city centre and several examples in the major urban regeneration project of Cardiff Bay, for example the Wales Millennium Centre and the Senedd.
The western suburb of St Fagans contains an open-air museum of Welsh vernacular architecture, the St Fagans National History Museum.
The common building materials of Cardiff's Victorian and Edwardian buildings are Bath stone, blue Pennant stone and red brick – except in Cathays Park, where Portland stone predominates. Grey Lias stone features heavily in the construction of the city's medieval buildings (the keep of Cardiff Castle, Llandaff Cathedral and St John the Baptist's church), but is absent from later buildings. Two recent buildings in Cardiff Bay, the Senedd and the Wales Millennium Centre, make conspicuous use of Welsh slate together with glass and steel.
Perhaps the most noted individual building in the city is Cardiff Castle, a fortress of Roman foundation with a ruined 12th-century medieval keep and exterior walls. After Cardiff Castle, the oldest remaining building in the city centre is St John's Parish Church, which dates from the 12th century but was almost totally reconstructed during the 15th century. It has a fine Perpendicular style nave and tower.
The medieval town walls were removed as the town developed and nowadays only two very small sections remain. The modernised Womanby Street is one of the few remaining original medieval streets, that lead from the town's original quay to the castle.
Two monastic buildings existed in Cardiff, Greyfriars (demolished for Capital Tower) and Blackfriars, established in the late 13th century. Greyfriars was converted into a family mansion but was demolished to make way for a carpark and office block during the 20th century. The foundations of Blackfriars can still be seen in Bute Park.
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