Gwyn Hall facts for kids
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Glass frontage, Gwyn Hall
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 The Gwyn Hall
Location in Neath Port Talbot
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| Address | Orchard Street, SA11 1DU Neath Wales |
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| Coordinates | 51°39′46″N 3°48′15″W / 51.6628°N 3.8041°W |
| Owner | Neath Port Talbot Council |
| Operator | Celtic Community Leisure |
| Type | Local authority |
| Capacity | 396 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1887 |
| Rebuilt | 2012, Holder Mathias |
| Architect | John Norton |
The Gwyn Hall is a cool building in Neath, Wales. It used to be a big, four-story theatre from the Victorian era. After a fire in 2007, it was rebuilt. The outside still looks the same, but the inside is new. Now, the theatre is on the ground floor. It has seats that can be moved around. The third floor has a special cinema room. There's also a glass cafe at the front where a car park used to be.
Contents
Gwyn Hall's Story: A Look Back
The Gwyn Hall was first built in 1887. The land for it was given by a person named Howel Gwyn. An English architect named John Norton designed the theatre. It cost about £6,000 to build. John Norton also designed St David's church, which is across the road.
Statue of Howel Gwyn
To celebrate the building's completion, a statue of Howel Gwyn was put outside the hall. Sir John Dillwyn-Llewellyn, 1st Baronet unveiled it on September 26, 1888. At first, people worried the statue was in the way of traffic. So, in 1967, it was moved. You can now find it in Victoria Gardens nearby.
What the Hall Was Used For
The building was used for many things. It was a music hall, where people watched shows. It also served as a meeting place for the local council. They used it until the Neath Civic Centre was built in the 1960s. Classical music concerts were also held here. For example, Handel's Messiah was performed after Howel Gwyn's wife gave an organ to the hall in 1889.
Fire and Rebuilding
In October 2007, the Gwyn Hall was being updated. It was getting a £4 million makeover. But during this time, a big fire almost destroyed it. The hall needed a lot of work to be rebuilt and made modern. This work finished in 2012. The new hall now has a 3D cinema. It also has a public cafe bar. The new theatre has seats that can be pulled back for films or live shows. There's also a flexible studio space for different activities.
