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The History and Architecture of Cardiff Civic Centre

The History and Architecture of Cardiff Civic Centre

John B. Hilling

(2016)

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Book Details

Abstract

Cardiff’s civic centre in Cathays Park, described as the finest civic centre in the British Isles, is an impressive planned group of public buildings, begun largely with wealth created by the coal industry in the south Wales coalfield. This book covers the Cardiff site’s earlier evolution as a private park in the nineteenth century by the fabulously rich Bute family, and the borough’s battles to obtain land for public buildings and the park’s development in the twentieth century, to become Britain’s finest civic centre. All the buildings, memorials and statues in the park are fully described and illustrated in this book which includes maps, plans and photographs. The History and Architecture of Cardiff Civic Centre is the first in the series Architecture of Wales, published in partnership with the Royal Society of Architects in Wales.


Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Title FM4
Copyright FM5
Contents FM6
Series Editor’s Preface FM8
Foreword Gillian Clarke FM10
List of Illustrations FM14
Introduction and Acknowledgements FM18
Editorial Note FM20
1. A Small, Sleepy Town in the Shadow of a Castle 1
2. Black Gold 13
3. A Gentleman’s Park 27
4. A Battle for Sites and Minds 49
5. Negotiations and Diversions 63
6. Plans and Petitions 75
7. A View of the Civic Centre: Its Layout, Appearance and Open Spaces 89
8. Development of the Civic Centre Before the First World War: Buildings and Monuments 103
9. Development of the Civic Centre Between the Wars: Buildings and Monuments 141
10. Development of the Civic Centre After the Second World War: Buildings and Monuments 155
11. Cardiff’s Civic Centre in Context 171
12. Conclusion 187
Brief Biographies of Architects 193
Architectural Glossary 197
Bibliography 201
Index 209
Back Cover Back Cover