City Hall, Cardiff
City Hall is a municipal building in Cardiff, Wales, UK. It serves as Cardiff's centre of local government. It was built as part of the Cathays Park civic centre development and opened in October 1906. Built of Portland stone, it is an important early example of the Edwardian Baroque style. It is a Grade I listed building.
History
The complex was commissioned to replace Cardiff's fourth town hall on the western side of St Mary's Street, which was completed in 1853. Following a design competition, the firm of Lanchester, Stewart and Rickards was selected to design the city's fifth town hall and adjacent law courts in the Edwardian Baroque style. The contractor, E. Turner and Sons, used the world's first all-electrically operated building site, including eight 5-ton cranes to lift the stone blocks. The total building cost was £129,708. As Cardiff received its city charter in 1905 while construction was underway, the current building is known as City Hall. The new building was officially opened by Lord Bute on 29 October 1906.Exterior architecture
Clock tower
The distinctive clock tower is in height and has a 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.Fountains and pool
In front of the entrance portico is a rectangular pool with fountains. The fountains were created to mark the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales in July 1969.Memorials
On the southern side of the building are two memorials: the memorial on the right is dedicated to victims of the Second World War while the one on the left is dedicated to the Polish soldiers, airmen and sailors who gave their lives during that war.Interior rooms, functions and art collections
Marble Hall
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 individuals commemorated were decided by a competition in the Western Mail newspaper. The Marble Hall with completed statues was unveiled by David Lloyd George, then Secretary of State for War, on 27 October 1916.The figures portrayed are as follows:
- Boudica by James Havard Thomas
- Saint David by Sir William Goscombe John
- Hywel Dda by F. W. Pomeroy
- Gerald of Wales by Henry Poole
- Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf by Henry Alfred Pegram
- Dafydd ap Gwilym by W. W. Wagstaff
- Owain Glyndŵr by Alfred Turner
- Henry VII by Ernest Gillick
- Bishop William Morgan by Thomas John Clapperton
- William Williams, Pantycelyn by Leonard Stanford Merrifield
- Sir Thomas Picton by T. Mewburn Crook