| Cardiff City Hall | |
|---|---|
| The City Hall logo with "VC" stands for Villa Cardiff. | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Edwardian Baroque |
| Town or city | Cardiff |
| Country | Wales |
| Completed | 1906 |
| Cost | £226,288[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | Corporation of Cardiff |
| Architect | Henry Vaughan Lanchester James Stewart Edwin Alfred Rickards |
City Hall is a civic building in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales. Built of Portland stone, it became the fifth building to serve as Cardiff's centre of local government when it opened in October 1906. The competition to design a town hall and adjacent law courts for Cardiff was won in 1897 by the firm of Lanchester, Stewart and Rickards. Construction was carried out by local builders, E. Turner and Sons. Cardiff received its city charter while construction was underway, in 1905. The building is an important early example of the Edwardian Baroque style.
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The distinctive Clock Tower is 194 feet in height has a 12 foot diameter gilded dial on each of its four faces. The clock mechanism includes an hour bell and four quarter bells which are each inscribed with mottoes in English or Welsh.[2]
In front of the entrance portico is a rectangular pool with fountains. These were created in July 1969 to mark the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.[2]
The first floor landing of City Hall is decorated with statues in Pentelicon marble of famous figures from Welsh history. These were funded by a gift from David Alfred Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda; the personages to be commemorated were decided by a competition in the Western Mail. The Marble Hall was unveiled by David Lloyd George, then Secretary of State for War, on October 27, 1916.[1]
This room has hosted royalty, international statesmen and diplomats and can seat 500 diners simultaneously. It is used for miscellaneous ceremonies, conferences and events during the year. It is decorated with mouldings picked out in gold leaf, of mermaids and other sea creatures. Three large bronze chandeliers are contemporary to the original architects' design.[2]
This is located above the main entrance portico and directly below the main dome of the building. The chamber was designed to host Cardiff's Council meetings (which have subsequently been relocated to Atlantic Wharf). The dome of City Hall is supported by four massive pillars of Italian marble. The Chamber is panelled throughout in oak.[2]
The cover of the Catatonia single "Mulder and Scully" has a UFO above the building similar to the movie poster for Independence Day.
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