The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama has submitted plans to Cardiff Council to redevelop part of its existing site on Cardiff’s North Road to build a suite of world class training and performance facilities for musicians, actors, theatre designers and stage managers.The Royal Welsh College is the National Conservatoire of Wales and a leading UK provider of high quality education, training and performance in music and drama. This ambitious development will enable the College to significantly raise the quality and profile of its provision for Wales and the UK, and to attract the best international students to study in Cardiff. The development will complement the College’s existing high quality, small-scale performance and rehearsal facilities with an acoustically excellent 450-capacity recital hall, a 160-seat theatre, purpose-built drama rehearsal spaces and a handsome new arcade to exhibit the College’s award-winning design activity - a 21st century addition to Cardiff’s historic city centre arcades. The Principal of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Hilary Boulding, said: “We are justifiably proud of the successes of our graduates. These new facilities will allow us to offer our future students the highest quality training environment and to bring their work to many more people. Offering world class facilities in such a stunning location will allow us to continue to attract leading international arts practitioners to work here, and to increase national and international recognition for Cardiff as a home of world-class artistic training.” The new facilities will significantly enhance opportunities not just for the College’s own development, but also for the residents of the city and region of Cardiff and the many professional and community groups that contribute to Cardiff’s vibrant cultural life. The development is designed by Jason Flanagan, Design Director at award-winning architects Hamiltons (www.hamiltons-london.com) who brings a wealth of specialist experience in the arts and education sector. Jason comments, “Our aim is to create world class performance and rehearsal spaces for the College. These are designed from the inside out for acoustic excellence and theatrical intimacy. The proposed buildings frame a new entrance to the College from North Road, leading in to the heart of the scheme, a public foyer opening out to spectacular views over Bute Park. The foyer is linked to the campus along a new arcade which forms the principal spine for movement within the College. This also functions as a gallery to showcase students’ work. The existing Bute Theatre, the new drama wing and the concert hall are conceived as 3 separate buildings linked by the public open space beneath a single unifying roof. The focus of the scheme is the creation of a new public concourse for the College, intimately linking with its unique surroundings of Bute Park. This is a fascinating project to be involved with and Hamiltons is honoured to be contributing to such a significant scheme.” The College borders one of the key gateways to Bute Park and the development will improve this key access point with better lighting and security and open up a new public vista onto the park, as well as providing enhanced public facilities in a new foyer. The College has a long relationship with the Park and with Cardiff Castle where the College was originally housed. In the 1990s the Royal Welsh College managed the award-winning, sympathetic restoration of the old stable building to create the Anthony Hopkins Centre. Hilary Boulding said: “We’re planning a landmark development in a significant and much-loved cultural location. We’re very sensitive to the responsibilities that brings. We’re aiming to open up vistas onto Bute Park and complement historic Cathays Park opposite.” The new development is designed to be fully accessible and inclusive. It will seek to attain the very highest environmental standards, using ground-source heating and cooling, solar water heating and stack effect natural ventilation. 80% of the funding for this £22.5 million development is already secured, including a grant of £10 million from the Welsh Assembly Government which was awarded following the strategic alliance between the College and the University of Glamorgan. A dedicated fundraising programme will be launched in the autumn of 2008 to achieve the balance of funds required. As part of the College’s public consultation the proposals were presented to the Design Commission for Wales’ Design Review Panel. The Panel commended the excellent presentation of the College’s Planning proposals and looked forward to a ‘high quality development’ on the site. The College is also holding a number of public meetings where it will present its plans. The next meeting will be held at 6pm on July 9th at the College. If anyone would like to attend, tickets can be obtained from the College Box Office on 029 2039 1391. Entry is free. |
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Thursday, September 25, 2008 |
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