Glamorgan Building

{{short description|County building in Cardiff, Wales}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox historic site | name = Glamorgan Building | image =Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University.JPG | caption =Glamorgan Building | locmapin =Wales Cardiff | map_relief = | coordinates ={{coord|51.4859|-3.1815|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}} | gbgridref = | location =Cardiff | built = 1912 | architect =E. Vincent Harris<br>Thomas A. Moodie | architecture =Beaux-Arts classical style | owner = | designation1 = Grade I | designation1_date =25 January 1966 | designation1_number = 13738 }} The '''Glamorgan Building''' ({{langx|cy|Adeilad Morgannwg}}) is a former county hall located at King Edward VII Avenue in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales. It was the headquarters of Glamorgan County Council from 1912 to 1974 and then of Mid Glamorgan County Council from 1974 to 1996. The building, which was acquired by Cardiff University in 1997 and is now home to the university's School of Social Sciences and the School of Geography and Planning, is a Grade I listed building.<ref name=listed>{{NHAW|num=13738|desc=Glamorgan Building|accessdate=15 April 2020}}</ref>

==History== ===Design and construction=== Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, it became necessary to find a meeting place for Glamorgan County Council.<ref name=ahub>{{cite web|url=https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/b83835ed-1266-35d3-99ee-3839f42da83c|title=Glamorgan County Council|publisher=Archives Hub|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021120729/https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/b83835ed-1266-35d3-99ee-3839f42da83c|accessdate=21 October 2019|archive-date=21 October 2019}}</ref> Initially the county council used offices in Westgate Street and St Mary Street.<ref name=parks>{{cite web|url=http://www.cardiffparks.org.uk/cathays/info/glamorgan.shtml|title=Glamorgan County Hall|publisher=Cardiff Parks|accessdate=31 October 2020}}</ref> After finding this arrangement inadequate, county leaders decided to procure a purpose-built facility: the site they selected at Cathays Park was acquired from the Marquess of Bute in 1898.<ref name=listed/>

Construction of the new building started in 1909.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kcomDAAAQBAJ&q=%22Glamorgan+building%22|title=The History and Architecture of Cardiff Civic Centre: Black Gold, White City|first= John B. |last=Hilling|publisher=University of Wales|year=2016|isbn=978-1783168422}}</ref> It was designed by Vincent Harris and Thomas Anderson Moodie in the Beaux-Arts classical style following a design competition<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=202588 |title=Thomas Anderson Moodie|publisher=Dictionary of Scottish Architects|accessdate=31 October 2020}}</ref> and was built by Turner & Sons of Cardiff at a cost of £67,724.<ref name="Chappell">{{cite book |last = Chappell |first = Edgar L. |title = Cardiff's Civic Centre: A historical guide |publisher = Priory Press |year = 1946|page=41}}</ref> It was officially opened by the Chairman of the County Council, J. Blandy Jenkins,<ref>{{cite news |title=Glamorgan County Council. The Election of Chairman. |url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4601677/4601679/6/ |accessdate=17 May 2019 |agency=South Wales Echo |date=14 March 1895 |page=2}}</ref> as '''Glamorgan County Hall''' on 19 September 1912.<ref>{{Citation|author=William Rees |title=Cardiff - A History Of The City |year=1969 |chapter=The Reformed Borough, 1836-1914 |page=338 |publisher=The Corporation of the City of Cardiff}}</ref> The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of seven bays facing King Edward VII Avenue; the central section of five bays featured a large portico with a deeply recessed entrance flanked by a series of pared Corinthian order columns.<ref name=listed/> Internally, the principal room was the council chamber.<ref name=listed/>

Serving as reminders of Glamorgan's source of wealth, two groups of statues by Albert Hodge, one representing navigation and the other coal mining, were unveiled outside the building.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.speel.me.uk/sculpt/hodge.htm |title=Albert H. Hodge (1875–1918)|publisher= Bob Speel|accessdate=31 October 2020}}</ref>

{{multiple image | align = left | direction = horizontal | header = Statues outside the Glamorgan Building | header_align = center | header_background = | footer = | footer_align = left | footer_background = | width = | caption_align = center | image1 = Navigation Glamorgan Building.jpg | width1 = 150 | alt1 = | caption1 = Minerva, representing mining | image2 = Neptune, Glamorgan Building.jpg | width2 = 157 | alt2 = Dark image with light coming from a circular opening at the top of the funnel | caption2 = Neptune in a chariot, representing navigation }}

With the Local Government Act 1929, which transferred more powers to local authorities, a large extension was required. It was built to the south west of the main building to a design by Ivor Jones and Percy Thomas at a cost of £54,054<ref name="Chappell"/> and opened on 22 September 1932.<ref name="Chappell"/>

===Recent history=== Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1972, which broke up Glamorgan County Council and established Mid Glamorgan County Council, the new county council took over the building.<ref name=ahub/>

On 1 April 1996, under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Mid Glamorgan County Council was abolished and the building was acquired by Cardiff University in 1997 and became home to the university's School of Social Sciences and the School of Geography and Planning.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/grade-one-listed-buildings-cardiff-15519995|title=These are all the grade one listed buildings in Cardiff|publisher=Wales Online|date=10 December 2018|accessdate=21 October 2019}}</ref> The Glamorgan Record Office, which had been based in the building since 1939, relocated to a purpose-built office in Leckwith next to the Cardiff City football stadium as Glamorgan Archives in 2009.<ref name=BBCallblack>{{cite news|title=All Black souvenir comes to light |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/southeastwales/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8345000/8345182.stm |work=BBC News |date=5 November 2009 |access-date=18 December 2015}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{commonscat-inline|Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University}} *[http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/geography-planning/about-us/location The Glamorgan Building, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University] *[http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/aboutus/glamorganbuilding/index.html The Glamorgan Building, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University]

Category:Buildings by Vincent Harris Category:Cardiff University Category:Cathays Park Category:County halls in Wales Category:Grade I listed buildings in Cardiff Category:Government buildings completed in 1912 Category:1912 in Wales