Millennium Centre at night, Cardiff Bay, South Glamorgan, Wales
by Neale And Judith Clark
Title
Millennium Centre at night, Cardiff Bay, South Glamorgan, Wales
Artist
Neale And Judith Clark
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Wales Millennium Centre illuminated at night Cardiff Bay South Glamorgan Wales UK GB Europe
Wales Millennium Centre, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The WMC was designed by Jonathan Adams, of local practice Percy Thomas Architects
The architect's concept of the building was a building that expressed "Welshness" and was instantly recognisable. The building was designed to reflect the many different parts of Wales with local Welsh materials that dominate its history: slate, metal, wood and glass. All the materials used come from Wales; the WMC was built from 1,350 tonnes of Welsh slate, 300,000 concrete blocks, and a million metres of electric cable.
The exterior of the building is clad in multi-coloured slate collected from Welsh slate quarries. Narrow windows are built into the layers of slate to give the impression of rock; strata they depict the different stone layers in sea cliffs. The purple slate came from the Penrhyn Quarry, the blue from Cwt y Bugail Quarry, the green from the Nantlle Valley, the grey from Llechwedd quarry, and the black from the Corris Quarry
The WMC's main feature, the bronze coloured dome which covers the Donald Gordon Theatre, is clad in steel that was treated with copper oxide. It was designed to withstand the weather conditions on the Cardiff Bay waterfront and will look increasingly better with age. The architect, Jonathan Adams, decided not to use copper and aluminium as they would both change colour with age and weather conditions
Inscribed on the front of the dome, above the main entrance, are two poetic lines, written by Welsh poet Gwyneth Lewis in the Welsh and English languages. The lettering is formed by windows in the upstairs bar areas and is internally illuminated at night
The inscription in the front of the building in Welsh reads:
CREU GWIR
FEL GWYDR
O FFWRNAIS AWEN
('Creating Truth Like Glass From Inspiration's Furnace).
The inscription in English reads:
IN THESE STONES
HORIZONS
SING
The Wales Millennium Centre comprises one large theatre and two smaller halls with shops, bars and restaurants. It houses the national orchestra and opera, dance, theatre and literature companies, a total of eight arts organisations in residence.
The main theatre, the Donald Gordon Theatre, has 1,897 seats, the BBC Hoddinott Hall 350 and the Weston Studio Theatre 250
Alamy reference CN13PG
Uploaded
January 15th, 2020
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