The History and Architecture of Cardiff Civic Centre

John Hilling

Description

Cardiff’s civic centre in Cathays Park, described as the finest civic centre in the British Isles, is an impressive planned group of public buildings, begun largely with wealth created by the coal industry in the south Wales coalfield. This book covers the Cardiff site’s earlier evolution as a private park in the nineteenth century by the fabulously rich Bute family, and the borough’s battles to obtain land for public buildings and the park’s development in the twentieth century, to become Britain’s finest civic centre. All the buildings, memorials and statues in the park are fully described and illustrated in this book which includes maps, plans and photographs. The History and Architecture of Cardiff Civic Centre is the first in the series Architecture of Wales, published in partnership with the Royal Society of Architects in Wales.

1 A Small, Sleepy Town in the Shadow of a Castle
2 Black Gold
3 A Gentleman’s Park
4 A Battle for Sites and Minds
5 Negotiations and Diversions
6 Plans and Petitions
7 A View of the Civic Centre: Its Layout, Appearance and Open Spaces
8 Development of the Civic Centre Before the First World War: Buildings and Monuments
9 Development of the Civic Centre Between the Wars: Buildings and Monuments
10 Development of the Civic Centre After the Second World War: Buildings and Monuments
11 Cardiff’s Civic Centre in Context
12 Conclusion

Sujets

• architectural history
• Architecture

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 20 mai 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783168439
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 77 Mo

Extrait

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ArchitectureofWales

ArchitectureofWales

General Editor Mary Wrenn Royal Society of Architects in Wales – Cymdeithas Frenhinol Penseiri yng Nghymru

Series Editors Oriel Prizeman, Cardiff University David Thomas, Catalina Architecture Jonathan Vining

Advisory Panel Irena Bauman, Director, Bauman Lyons Architects, Leeds Richard Parnaby, Professor of Architecture, University of Wales Trinity Saint David Alan Powers, author and architectural historian Ian Pritchard, Secretary General, Architects Council of Europe (ACE) Damian Walford Davies, Head of School, Cardiff School of English, Communication and Philosophy, Cardiff University

Published in cooperation with The Royal Society of Architects in Wales – Cymdeithas Frenhinol Penseiri yng Nghymru

ArchitectureofWales

THE HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE OF CARDIFF CIVIC CENTRE

Black Gold, White City

John B. Hilling

U n iver s i ty o f Wal es P re ss 2016

© John B. Hilling, 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the University of Wales Press, 10 Columbus Walk, Brigantine Place, Cardiff CF10 4UP.

www.uwp.co.uk

British Library CIP Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN eISBN

9781783168422 9781783168439

The right of John B. Hilling to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 79 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

With thanks to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales for supporting the publication of this book. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales is the investigation body and national archive for the historic environment of Wales. It has the lead role in ensuring that Wales’s archaeological, built and maritime heritage is authoritatively recorded and seeks to promote the understanding and appreciation of this heritage nationally and internationally.

Designed and typeset by Chris Bell, cbdesign Printed by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham, Wiltshire

Contents

Series Editor’s Preface ForewordGillian Clarke List of Illustrations Introduction and Acknowledgements Editorial Note

1 A Small, Sleepy Town in the Shadow of a Castle 2 Black Gold 3 A Gentleman’s Park 4 A Battle for Sites and Minds 5 Negotiations and Diversions 6 Plans and Petitions 7 A View of the Civic Centre: Its Layout, Appearance and Open Spaces 8 Development of the Civic Centre Before the First World War: Buildings and Monuments 9 Development of the Civic Centre Between the Wars: Buildings and Monuments 10 Development of the Civic Centre After the Second World War: Buildings and Monuments 11 Cardiff’s Civic Centre in Context 12 Conclusion

Brief Biographies of Architects Architectural Glossary Bibliography Index

vii ix xiii xvii xix

1 13 27 49 63 75

8

9

103

141

155 171 187

193 197 201 209

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Series Editor’s Preface

IVENTHECONVENTIONAL image of Wales as a land of song and poetry, architecture and the visual arts can be easily overlooked, a neglected G poor relation to the country’s seductive musical and literary tradi tions. Relatively little has been published about the architectural heritage of our nation, despite the fact that buildings and places have been created in Wales that bear comparison with contemporaneous examples elsewhere, produced by architects engaged in the same wider cultural currents and discourse. There are many reasons for this: Wales has so often been judged as being too small, too homely, or simply not distinctive or fashionable enough to attract the sustained attention of architectural critics and his torians. Add to this a lack of consistent patronage and a deeplyingrained Nonconformist tradition that discourages any form of showing off, it is not surprising perhaps that we lack a more complete record of the architectural achievements of past generations.  Of course, the truth is that Wales has a rich built heritage, from the medieval to the modern. Its architectural character is very different from that of the other nations of the British Isles, and it is this very distinctiveness that deserves to be celebrated. The Royal Society of Architects in Wales is delighted to present, with the University of Wales Press, a series of books exploring the architecture of Wales, adding new chapters to the evolving story of the buildings, places and spaces of our ‘damp, demanding and 1 obsessively interesting country’.

Mary Wrenn, Director RSAW The Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) represents and supports Chartered Members of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in Wales.

1 Jan Morris,Wales: Epic Views of a Small Country.

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