Glamorgan Building

The Glamorgan Building stands in Cathays Park, Cardiff, on King Edward VII Avenue. It was built as Glamorgan County Hall and opened in 1912. Vincent Harris and Thomas Anderson Moodie designed it in the Beaux-Arts classical style after winning a competition. The front has a symmetrical façade with a large portico supported by paired Corinthian columns. Inside, the council chamber was the main room. Two groups of statues by Albert Hodge flank the entrance. One group represents navigation, the other coal mining, reflecting Glamorgan’s past wealth. In 1932 an extension was added to the south-west to meet new demands after the Local Government Act 1929. The building later became part of Cardiff University in 1997, housing the School of Social Sciences and the School of Geography and Planning. Visitors approach along King Edward VII Avenue and see the grand portico rising above the seven-bay façade. The entrance leads into a corridor that opens into the former council chamber, now used for lectures and meetings. Outside, the statues stand on either side of the steps, their figures carved in stone. The surrounding Cathays Park is a green space with other civic buildings, making the area a quiet place for a walk.