City Hall, Cardiff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cardiff City Hall |
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Neuadd y ddinas
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 The City Hall logo; "VC" stands for Villa Cardiff. |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Edwardian Baroque style |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Cardiff City Hall | |
| Designated: | 25 January 1966 |
| Reference #: | 13744 |
| Town or city | Cardiff |
| Country | Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°29′07″N 03°10′43″W / 51.48528°N 3.17861°W |
| Completed | 1906 |
| Cost | £129,708 |
| Client | Corporation of Cardiff |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect |
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City Hall (which is Neuadd y ddinas in Welsh) is a very important building in Cardiff, Wales, UK. It's where the local government of Cardiff works. This grand building was built as part of the Cathays Park area and opened in October 1906. It's made of Portland stone and is a great example of the Edwardian Baroque style. It's so important that it's a Grade I listed building, meaning it's protected for its special history and looks.
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History of City Hall
Before this building, Cardiff had four other town halls. The one before this was finished in 1853. To build the new one, there was a competition to find the best design. The winning team was Lanchester, Stewart and Rickards. They designed both City Hall and the nearby law courts in the Edwardian Baroque style.
The company that built it, E. Turner and Sons, used the world's first building site that ran completely on electricity! They even had eight huge cranes to lift the heavy stone blocks. The City Hall cost about £129,708 to build. While it was being built, Cardiff officially became a city in 1905. That's why the new building is called City Hall instead of Town Hall. Lord Bute officially opened the new building on October 29, 1906.
Outside the Building
The Clock Tower
The clock tower is a famous part of City Hall. It stands about 59 meters (194 feet) tall. Each of its four sides has a large, shiny gold clock face that is about 3.7 meters (12 feet) wide. The clock has a big bell for the hour and four smaller bells for the quarter hours. Each bell has a special saying written on it in English or Welsh.
Fountains and Pool
Right in front of the main entrance, there's a rectangular pool with fountains. These fountains were added in July 1969. They were created to celebrate when Prince Charles became the Prince of Wales.
Memorials
On the south side of City Hall, you'll find two special memorials. The one on the right remembers the people who lost their lives in World War II. The memorial on the left honors the Polish soldiers, airmen, and sailors who also died during that war.
Inside the Building: Rooms and Art
The Marble Hall
On the first floor of City Hall, there's a beautiful area called the Marble Hall. It's decorated with statues made of white Pentelicon marble. These statues show famous people from Welsh history. A man named David Alfred Thomas gave money for these statues. The people to be honored were chosen through a competition in the Western Mail newspaper. The Marble Hall, with all its statues, was officially shown to the public on October 27, 1916. This was done by David Lloyd George, who was a very important government official at the time.
Here are some of the famous Welsh figures you can see:
- Boudica: A queen from the 1st century.
- Saint David: The patron saint of Wales from the 6th century.
- Hywel Dda: A king who created Welsh laws in the 10th century.
- Gerald of Wales: A scholar and writer from the 12th and 13th centuries.
- Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf: The last Welsh prince to rule Wales.
- Dafydd ap Gwilym: A Welsh poet from the 14th century.
- Owain Glyndŵr: A Welsh hero and warrior from the 14th and 15th centuries.
- Henry VII: The first king of the Tudor family.
- Bishop William Morgan: He translated the Bible into Welsh in the 16th century.
- William Williams, Pantycelyn: A famous hymn writer from the 18th century.
- Sir Thomas Picton: A general who fought at Waterloo.
In July 2020, the Cardiff Council decided to remove the statue of Sir Thomas Picton. This was because of his past connections to slavery.
The Assembly Room
This large room is used for many important events. Kings, queens, and leaders from other countries have visited here. It can seat 500 people for dinner. It's used for ceremonies, meetings, and other events throughout the year. The room is decorated with gold leaf designs of mermaids and other sea creatures. Three big bronze lights, called chandeliers, were part of the original design.
The Council Chamber
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This room is located right above the main entrance and under the building's main dome. A large bronze chandelier, designed by Edwin Alfred Rickards, hangs from the dome. What's special about this room is that the seats are arranged in a circle. Most British council chambers have seats in a half-circle. This room was designed for Cardiff's Council meetings. However, these meetings now happen at County Hall.
The dome of City Hall is held up by four huge pillars made of Italian marble. These pillars have bronze tops with a special design called Ionic. The room is covered in oak wood. The beautiful plaster work was done by G.P. Bankart. There's also a stained glass window from 1905, made by Alfred Garth Jones. It shows a person representing the City of Cardiff.
City Hall in Pop Culture
The cover of the band Catatonia's song "Mulder and Scully" shows a UFO flying over City Hall. This looks a lot like the movie poster for Independence Day.
See also
In Spanish: City Hall (Cardiff) para niños
