St David's Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St David's Hall |
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Neuadd Dewi Sant
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St David's Hall by night, in 2014, showing the remodelled façade and the base of Cardiff's BBC Big Screen.
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| General information | |
| Status | Closed due to the discovery of RAAC |
| Type | Concert Hall |
| Architectural style | Brutalist |
| Location | The Hayes |
| Address | The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1AH |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°28′49″N 03°10′36″W / 51.48028°N 3.17667°W |
| Construction started | 1977 |
| Completed | 1982 |
| Inaugurated | 30 August 1982 |
| Cost | £12m |
| Owner | Cardiff County Council |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 7 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Seymour Harris Partnership |
| Structural engineer | Ove Arup and Partners |
| Main contractor | John Laing & Son |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 1,500 |
| Number of rooms | 24 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name | St David's Hall |
| Designated | Interim Protection |
| Reference no. | 87914 |
St David's Hall (which is Neuadd Dewi Sant in Welsh) is a super important place in the heart of Cardiff, Wales. It's a big building where people go to enjoy performing arts like concerts and shows. It's also used for large meetings and events.
This hall is known as the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre for all of Wales! It hosts some really cool events every year. These include the Welsh Proms, which is a festival of classical music, and the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition. This competition happens every two years and finds amazing new singers from all over the world.
But it's not just classical music here! St David's Hall also welcomes many other types of music. You can hear jazz, soul, pop, rock, dance, and even music for kids. They also have rhythm and blues, musicals, and different kinds of world music. Plus, you can see fun entertainment artists. The big open areas inside, called foyers, often have free performances by music groups. These areas, along with the balconies and bars, are also used to show off amazing art.
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History of St David's Hall
How the Hall Was Built
A big thank you goes to Ron Watkiss, who was a leader in the Cardiff City Council. He helped make St David's Hall a reality. You can even see a bronze statue of him in the building's main entrance area.
The architects, Seymour Harris Partnership, had a tricky job. They needed to fit a huge concert hall with 2,000 seats into a small space in the city centre. This space also needed dressing rooms, bars, a restaurant, offices, and wide open areas. The challenge was that they had to build it on top of and around a shopping centre that was already being built, called St. David's Centre. Because of this, they had to use every bit of space, which gave the building its unique shape.
The main company that built the hall was John Laing & Son. The very first concert happened on September 11, 1982. The Queen Mother officially opened the hall a few months later, on February 15, 1983. This was followed by a special concert from the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra.
The building looks very much like it was built in the 1970s or 1980s. It uses a lot of angular grey concrete on the outside and even inside. This style is sometimes called "Brutalism," which just describes a certain type of strong, modern look.
Home of the BBC NOW
The BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales (BBC NOW) is the main orchestra that plays at St David's Hall. They perform regularly from September to June each year. Most of their concerts at the hall are recorded. They are often broadcast live or later on BBC Radio 3. The hall has special equipment just for these recordings.
St David's Hall Today
St David's Hall hosts many important events. These include the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, which happens every two years. The Welsh Proms are also held here every year. In June, prizes for the Welsh Artist of the Year are given out at the hall. After that, you can see an exhibition of the winning artworks.
The hall is always trying new things and adding more types of shows. It has a smaller venue called the L3 Lounge, which can hold about 350 people. This space is often used for daytime concerts and special music series.
In 2022, there were talks about a company called Academy Music Group (AMG) taking over the running of the hall. The council hoped that a new operator would also help with any needed repairs.
St David's Hall now has "Interim Protection" as a Grade II listed building. This means it's a very important building that needs to be protected. It is against the law to damage or change the hall without special permission.
In September 2023, the hall had to close. This was because a material called Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete was found in its roof. This type of concrete can be a problem. The hall is expected to be closed for about 18 months while the roof is replaced.
The Organ at St David's Hall
The large concert organ inside St David's Hall was finished in 1982 by a builder named Peter Collins. It was the biggest organ he ever built. The wooden case around the organ was designed by Ralph Downes.
Later, there were some issues with how the organ worked. So, another company, J. W. Walker & Sons, had to replace parts of it. This was a bit embarrassing at the time, especially because the organ was very expensive! The organ has three keyboards (called manuals) and a special German-style sound.
The main hall often has organ events, including concerts during lunchtime. Many organ players travel to St David's Hall to try out this special organ. Others come to give concerts, including famous organists like Olivier Latry and Margaret Phillips. The hall has also hosted big organ events, such as the 2019 RCO OrganFest.
See also
In Spanish: St. David's Hall para niños
