Temple of Peace, Cardiff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Temple of Peace and Health |
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| Location | Cathays Park, Cardiff |
| Built | 1937–38 |
| Architect | Sir Percy Thomas |
| Architectural style(s) | 1930s German/Italian public building style; Art Deco |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Temple of Peace & Health | |
| Designated | 19 May 1975 |
| Reference no. | 13740 |
The Temple of Peace and Health is a special building in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. It is a non-religious public building. Sir Percy Thomas designed it. Since it was built, it has had two main jobs. It helps with health and works for peace around the world.
Contents
What is the Temple of Peace?
The Temple of Peace and Health is a place for important meetings and events. It has different rooms for groups to gather.
- The Marble Hall is a large room. It can hold about 200 people.
- The Council Chamber is a wood-paneled room. It can fit about 50 people.
- There is also a smaller meeting room. It can hold around 20 people.
The building is easy to reach. It has parking nearby. You can also walk there from the city centre. Cathays railway station is also close by.
History of the Temple
The idea for the Temple of Peace and Health came from David Davies, 1st Baron Davies. He wanted it to do two things.
A Place for Health
First, it was a home for the King Edward VII Welsh National Memorial Association. This group worked to stop and treat tuberculosis. Lord Davies started this group in 1910.
A Place for Peace
Second, Lord Davies also led the Welsh National Council of the League of Nations Union. This group worked for peace between countries. In 1934, he gave a lot of money to build the Temple. He wanted it to be a place for both groups.
Lord Davies also wanted the Temple to remember brave people. It honors those who died in World War I. He called it "the war that was to end war."
Building the Temple
Sir Percy Thomas designed the building. He won an award for his design. The first stone was laid in 1937. The building opened on November 23, 1938. A woman named Minnie James was there. She had lost three sons in World War I.
In 1968, the building was damaged. This happened during a protest. It was before Prince Charles became the Prince of Wales.
In 2018, Cardiff University bought the Temple of Peace. But the Welsh Centre for International Affairs still uses part of the building.
Inside the Temple
The Temple of Peace is shaped like the letter T. It has two wings. It is built from a light-colored stone called Portland stone. The roofs are made of dark red tiles. The wings have offices and meeting rooms.
The Marble Hall
The Marble Hall is in the middle of the building. It is taller than the wings. It is on the ground floor. The walls are made of light grey marble. This marble stands for peace. Many talks and meetings about world issues happen here. It is also used for other events.
The Crypt and Book of Remembrance
Below the Marble Hall is the Crypt. Here, you will find a special Book of remembrance. It lists the names of people who died in World War I. It has 1,100 pages. It lists 35,000 men and women. They were from Wales or served in Welsh groups. The bronze around the book is from France. The stone stand is from Belgium. This is because most of them died in those countries. Hidden lights shine on the book.
The Council Chamber
The Council Chamber is on the first floor. It is a room with wood panels. It is used for meetings. It also has many books about international topics. Some of these books belonged to Lord Davies.
Filming Location
The Temple of Peace has been used in many TV shows.
- Parts of the TV show Doctor Who were filmed here. This includes episodes like "The End of the World" (2005) and "Gridlock" (2007). The Marble Hall was even used to look like a space station!
- Other shows filmed here include Sherlock (2010) and His Dark Materials.
