St David's Hall

St David’s Hall stands in the centre of Cardiff as the national concert hall and conference centre of Wales. It occupies a cramped city-centre site above part of St David’s Shopping Centre, giving it an unusual shape. The architects Seymour Harris Partnership fitted a 2000-seat auditorium, foyers, balconies, bars, a restaurant and offices into every available inch. A bronze bust of the Conservative leader Ron Watkiss, who championed the project, greets visitors in the foyer. The building’s angular grey concrete exterior belongs to the late 20th-century modernist style. The hall hosts the annual Welsh Proms and the biennial BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition. It also presents jazz, soul, pop, rock, dance, children’s shows and world music alongside art exhibitions in its foyers and balconies. The BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales performs here regularly, with most concerts recorded for BBC Radio 3. The L3 Lounge, renamed and refurbished, now hosts daytime concerts, folk series and Welsh music events. In June prizes for Welsh Artist of the Year are awarded here, followed by an exhibition of winners. Inside, the main auditorium contains a large concert organ built by Peter Collins in 1982. The organ has three manuals and German-style registrations, and lunchtime recitals are held there. Performers such as Catherine Ennis, Olivier Latry and Margaret Phillips have played the instrument. The foyers remain open for free performances by local music groups. Outside, the hall’s concrete form remains a striking example of late brutalist architecture.