Roald Dahl Plass

Roald Dahl Plass is a public square beside Cardiff Bay, on the south edge of the city centre. It sits on the site of a former dock that once served the coal trade. The square is named after the Welsh author Roald Dahl, whose parents were Norwegian. A Norwegian seafarers’ church stands nearby, and the word ‘plass’ means ‘place’ in Norwegian. The space is shaped like a bowl, making it a natural amphitheatre for open-air performances. The dock opened in 1839 as West Bute Dock and grew to handle hundreds of ships. Cardiff became the world’s largest coal exporter, moving over ten million tonnes in 1913. After the coal trade declined, the dock fell into disuse and was filled in. In the 1980s the area was regenerated, and the square was designed by William Pye with Nicholas Hare Architects. It later featured in Doctor Who and Torchwood as a location tied to a spatial-temporal rift. Visitors find an oval gravel plaza ringed by lit pillars where the dock once lay. At the north end stands the Water Tower, a 21-metre-high structure with a water feature running down its side. The square hosts festivals such as the Cardiff Food Festival and the National Eisteddfod. Concerts and cultural events take place on the open stage. The Norwegian church and the Senedd building are close by, adding to the site’s character.