History and Architecture of Cardiff Civic Centre: Black Gold, White City

by John B. Hilling

Overview

Cardiff’s civic center, described as the finest 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. The History and Architecture of Cardiff Civic Centre contains detailed architectural descriptions of all the buildings in the civic center, such as Cardiff City Hall and the National Museum and Gallery of Wales. The book includes specially prepared maps and plans showing how the center developed over two centuries as well as rich descriptions and accounts of its development that highlight one of Wales’s most striking cultural landmarks.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783168422
Publisher:	University of Wales Press
Publication date:	08/15/2016
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

John B. Hilling is an established practitioner in and commentator on historical architecture.
 

Table of Contents

Series Editor's Preface vii

Foreword Gillian Clarke ix

List of Illustrations xiii

Introduction and Acknowledgements xvii

Editorial Note xix

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