Empire House
Empire House, 54 Mount Stuart Square, is a former company headquarters building in Butetown, Cardiff, Wales. Completed in 1926, the building was designed by Ivor Jones and Percy Thomas. Cadw considers it "the best South Wales example of inter-war, Neo-Georgian architecture". Empire House is a Grade II* listed building. After a period of near dereliction, it was converted to apartments in the early 21st century.
History
The area of Butetown was developed from the early 19th century by John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, and by his son, the 3rd marquess. Together they constructed the docks which enabled the export of iron and coal from the South Wales Valleys. While the docks themselves were not especially profitable, the enormous increases in the tonnage of iron, steel and coal exported through them made the Butes immensely wealthy. Empire House was built in 1926 at the instigation of Commander Charles E Evans, Chairman of Evans & Reid, one of the largest coal exporters in South Wales. Evans' chosen architects were Ivor Jones and Percy Thomas. The building stands directly opposite the Cardiff Coal Exchange on Mount Stuart Square.After a period of near dereliction at the end of the 20th century, Empire House was converted into apartments in the early 21st. In 2015, the flat created from the former company boardroom was advertised as Cardiff's most-expensive one-bedroom rental apartment.