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Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the
Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay ( cy, Bae Caerdydd; historically Tiger Bay; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it serves as the river mouth of the River Taff and Ely. The body of ...
area of
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...
, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert. The centre has hosted performances of
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
,
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...
,
contemporary dance Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in ...
, theatre comedy, pop stars, and musicals. The Wales Millennium Centre comprises one large theatre and two smaller halls with shops, bars and restaurants. It houses the national orchestra and opera, dance, theatre and literature companies, a total of eight arts organisations in residence. The main theatre, the Donald Gordon Theatre, has 2,497 seats, the BBC Hoddinott Hall 350 and the Weston Studio Theatre 250. In 2001
Lord Rowe-Beddoe David Sydney Rowe-Beddoe, Baron Rowe-Beddoe, (born 19 December 1937) is a Welsh businessman, a life peer and a crossbench member of the House of Lords.
was appointed chairman of Wales Millennium Centre, a
company limited by guarantee In British, Australian, Bermudian, Hong Kong and Irish company law (and previously New Zealand), a company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of corporation used primarily (but not exclusively) for non-profit organisations that require legal pe ...
. Board members include Sir Michael Checkland.


Background


The failed Cardiff Bay Opera House project

The Wales Millennium Centre replaced an earlier project for the site, the Cardiff Bay Opera House, a plan supported by the
Cardiff Bay Development Corporation The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was set up by the United Kingdom Government on 3 April 1987 to redevelop one sixth of the area of Cardiff to create Cardiff Bay. Objectives The Secretary of State for Wales, Nicholas Edwards set out the ...
to construct a permanent home for the
Welsh National Opera Welsh National Opera (WNO) ( cy, Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru) is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales; it gave its first performances in 1946. It began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its ...
. The project failed to win financial support from the Millennium Commission, the body which distributed funds from the UK National Lottery. An international design competition attracted 268 international applicants, and was won by Iraq-born architect
Zaha Hadid Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid ( ar, زها حديد ''Zahā Ḥadīd''; 31 October 1950 – 31 March 2016) was an Iraqi-British architect, artist and designer, recognised as a major figure in architecture of the late 20th and early 21st centu ...
. Her
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretica ...
design was so radical that she and a selection of other applicants were asked to submit revised designs for a second round of competition—which she again won with "a sleek and dazzling complex of sharp lines and surfaces that she compared to an 'inverted necklace'". In December 1995, the Millennium Commission decided against lottery-money funding for the project. It was suggested that the bid failed because of "the unpopular Conservative government's fear of controversy," favouring the funding of projects perceived as more populist, such as the
Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national r ...
.Review by Raymund Ryan of at Metropolis in Review, April 1988


Origins of Wales Millennium Centre

After the Cardiff Bay Opera House project was rejected, a new project was conceived that included more than opera and was felt to be a better reflection of Welsh culture. The change of name symbolised this, but the project still had to overcome many hurdles. Funding from the Welsh Assembly and Millennium Commission took years to obtain. Cardiff Council had to buy the land after the previous owners, Grosvenor Waterside (
Associated British Ports Associated British Ports owns and operates 21 ports in the United Kingdom, managing around 25 per cent of the UK's sea-borne trade. The company's activities cover transport, haulage and terminal operations, ship's agency, dredging and marine cons ...
property division) threatened to build a retail centre there due to the delays. Further boosts were given by large donations from South African businessman Donald Gordon and a loan from the international bank,
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tr ...
. The £20 million donation from Donald Gordon was split evenly between the Royal Opera House and Wales Millennium Centre and was spread over five years. This is believed to be the largest single private donation ever made to the arts in the UK.


Phase 1 – Donald Gordon Theatre and Weston Studio Theatre

In addition to the two main theatres of the Donald Gordon Theatre and Weston Studio Theatre, the phase 1 of the Wales Millennium Centre also has six function rooms: the Victor Salvi Room, the David Morgan Room, the Sony Room, the Seligman Room, the Japan Room, and the Lloyds Enterprise Suite. The Urdd Gobaith Cymru has a hostel with accommodations for 153 people overnight in en-suite bedrooms, called the Urdd City Sleepover. It also has performance and teaching space in the Urdd Hall/Theatre, with 153 retractable seats. The building also includes rehearsal rooms, orchestral facilities for the Welsh National Opera, dance studios for Diversions, called The Dance House, and the Blue Room, with seating for up to 100. The foyer has three bars; the Penderyn Awen Foyer Bar on level 2, the Horizons Foyer Bar on level 4, and the Stones Foyer Bar on level 5. ffresh restaurant is also situated in the foyer, along with Crema, which is a coffee shop, Hufen, which is an Ice cream parlour and One, which is a wine bar. Free performances also take place during the day in the foyer on the Glanfa Stage.


Design and construction

The WMC was designed by Jonathan Adams, of local practice Percy Thomas Architects (taken over by
Capita Group Capita plc, commonly known as Capita, is an international business process outsourcing and professional services company headquartered in London. It is the largest business process outsourcing and professional services company in the United ...
in 2004), with Arup Acoustics providing the acoustic design and Arup as building engineer. His first concept drawings were made in early 1998, by 1999 his design was starting to look more like the building it is today. Construction began on 25 February 2002, the main contractor being
Sir Robert McAlpine Sir Robert McAlpine Limited is a family-owned building and civil engineering company based in Hemel Hempstead, England. It carries out engineering and construction in the infrastructure, heritage, commercial, arena and stadium, healthcare, educa ...
Ltd and Kelsey Roofing Industries Ltd being the roofing contractor. Carr and Angier were the theatre consultants. Other contractors included Stent (foundations), Swansea Institute of Higher Education, now part of University of Wales Trinity Saint David (glass), GH James Cyf (
stonemasonry Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, ...
), Rimex (
stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's r ...
), Alfred McAlpine (slate), Coed Cymru (wood), Ann Catrin Evans ( door furniture), Amber Hiscott ( etchings on glass walls). The architect's concept of the building was a building that expressed "Welshness" and was instantly recognisable. The building was designed to reflect the many different parts of Wales with local Welsh materials that dominate its history: slate, metal, wood and glass. All the materials used come from
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
; the WMC was built from 1,350 tonnes of Welsh slate, 300,000 concrete blocks, and a million metres of electric cable. Slate The exterior of the building is clad in multi-coloured
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
collected from Welsh slate quarries. Narrow windows are built into the layers of slate to give the impression of rock;
strata In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as e ...
they depict the different stone layers in sea cliffs. The purple slate came from the Penrhyn Quarry, the blue from Cwt y Bugail Quarry, the green from the
Nantlle Valley The Nantlle Valley ( cy, Dyffryn Nantlle, ) is an area in Gwynedd, North Wales, characterised by its numerous small settlements. The area is also historically important geologically, and featured in one of the most contentious disputes of the 1 ...
, the grey from
Llechwedd quarry Llechwedd quarry () is a major slate quarry in the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, north Wales. At its peak in 1884 it produced 23,788 tons of finished slate per year and had 513 employees. It continues to produce slate on a limited scale and is t ...
, and the black from the Corris Quarry.
I always loved going to Ogmore and
Southerndown Southerndown is a village in southern Wales to the southwest of Bridgend, in St Brides Major community, close to Llantwit Major and Ogmore-by-Sea. It is mostly known for its beach which backs Dunraven Bay (Welsh: ''Bae Dwnrhefn''), which is a ...
. I thought the cliffs there looked like a building anyway. A building capable of withstanding the roughest weather for hundreds of years. The older they get, the better they look. I wondered if it would be possible to make a building which had the same qualities as these magnificent cliffs. To do that I needed a lot of stone. Normal stone for buildings has to be specially cut into blocks; it takes a long time to make and costs a fortune. But in
north Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, ...
the historic slate industry has left behind whole mountains of waste stone that no-one wants. This was stone cut from the mountainside for nearly two hundred years but which wasn't good enough to make roof slates. Over 90% was thrown away. But it was ideal for making walls like the one I had in mind... ''—architect Jonathan Adams''
Metal The WMC's main feature, the bronze coloured dome which covers the Donald Gordon Theatre, is clad in steel that was treated with copper oxide. It was designed to withstand the weather conditions on the Cardiff Bay waterfront and will look increasingly better with age. The architect, Jonathan Adams, decided not to use copper and aluminium as they would both change colour with age and weather conditions.
We all know that steel making has been important to
south Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
, just as slate making has changed the landscape of the north. We have to use a special type of steel that won't go rusty near to the salt-laden, maritime air of Cardiff Bay. This stainless steel will be made near to
Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd r ...
. For the Wales Millennium Centre I thought it was important that the materials should have a "natural" texture, and that they should be instantly recognisable to anyone seeing them, even from a distance. For this reason I felt it was important that the steel of the shell should have the rough grain and the riveted pattern that we think of as more typical of old industrial structures, such as those that used to be commonplace around the landscape of the industrial south. ''—architect Jonathan Adams''
Wood Both inside and outside the building, including the main Donald Gordon Theatre, the balconies and the rear of the building, is dominated by bands of hardwood lining the walls.
Like the exterior of the building, the principal internal spaces are designed to make the best use of natural materials in their natural state. The structure and detail of the concourse galleries echo the form of the exterior, with the curving strata formed in native hardwoods. Oak,
ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
,
beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...
, sycamore, alder,
birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' cont ...
,
chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrel ...
and
cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The n ...
woods from renewable sources in
mid-Wales Mid Wales ( cy, Canolbarth Cymru or simply ''Y Canolbarth'', meaning "the midlands") or Central Wales refers to a region of Wales, encompassing its midlands, in-between North Wales and South Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the Se ...
will be used together in proportions that reflect their relative availability from the forest. The design of the
concourse A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space. The term is not limited to places where there are literally pathways or roadways or t ...
galleries is intended to evoke the image of the edge of the forest, partly as a counterpoint to the coastal nature of the exterior, and partly because the edge of the forest in folklore and mythology represents a line between the real world and the magical world, a line which resembles the front edge of the theatre stage. The form of trees is created by the interweaving curvature of the gallery edges, and by the random positioning of the supporting columns. ''—architect Jonathan Adams''
Glass Glass was used to incorporate into the bands of slate. The glass is thick and was cut and installed by the Architectural Glass Department at Swansea Institute of Higher Education. Glass is not used in the contemporary British architectural style of the glass curtain. Jonathan Adams said, "The glass veins in the external walls of the Wales Millennium Centre make use of conventional glass in a unique way: the sheets of glass are stacked together and fused in a kiln to form solid blocks." Calligraphy Inscribed on the front of the dome, above the main entrance, are two poetic lines, written by
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
poet Gwyneth Lewis in the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
and English languages. The lettering is formed by windows in the upstairs bar areas and is internally illuminated at night.
The idea of this monumental inscription comes from Roman classical architecture. The Romans brought Christianity to these islands, along with the custom of engraving stone. The form of the
Celtic cross The Celtic cross is a form of Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. A type of ringed cross, it became widespread through its use in the stone high crosses e ...
embodies the cross-fertilisation of indigenous and Roman cultures, from which the Welsh nation first emerged. The monumental inscription is a familiar feature of Roman architecture. The inscription over the entrance of the Wales Millennium Centre is a revival of this classical tradition, and also a recognition of the formative influence of Roman culture upon our nation. We're lucky to have two languages; one that we share with half the world and one which belongs just to us. Words in songs, stories and poems have helped to make Wales the proud country that it is. ''—architect Jonathan Adams''
Gwyneth Lewis said of the inscription:
I wanted the words to reflect the architecture of the building. Its copper dome reminded me of the
furnaces A furnace is a structure in which heat is produced with the help of combustion. Furnace may also refer to: Appliances Buildings * Furnace (central heating): a furnace , or a heater or boiler , used to generate heat for buildings * Boiler, used t ...
from Wales's industrial heritage and also Ceridwen's cauldron, from which the early poet Taliesin received his inspiration ('awen'). Awen suggests both poetic inspiration and the general creative vision by which people and societies form their aspirations. ..It was important to me that the English words on the building should not simply be a translation of the Welsh, that they should have their own message. The strata of the slate frontage of the Wales Millennium Centre reminded me of the horizons just beyond
Penarth Head Penarth Head seen from near the alt=Penarth Head seen from near Cardiff Bay Barrage Penarth Head is a headland in Penarth on the south coast of South Wales near the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. St Augustine's Church sits on the highest poi ...
. The sea has, traditionally, been for Cardiff the means by which the Welsh export their best to the world and the route by which the world comes to Cardiff. The stones inside the theatre literally sing with opera, musicals and orchestral music, and I wanted to convey the sense of an international space created by the art of music. ''—Gwyneth Lewis''
"
In These Stones Horizons Sing ''In These Stones, Horizons Sing'' is a work for choir, chorus and orchestra composed by Karl Jenkins. It was commissioned for the opening of Wales Millennium Centre and first performed at its opening in November 2004. The work includes text in bo ...
" is also an orchestral work, which was composed by Karl Jenkins, and commissioned by the Wales Millennium Centre for the opening of the Wales Milliennium Centre.


Opening weekend ceremony

The building was officially opened on the weekend of the 26, 27 and 28 November 2004. The ceremony was organised by Bryn Terfel, the creative director of the whole opening weekend. Day 1 – 26 November 2004 The day started with a speech from Lord Rowe-Beddoe, chairman of Wales Millennium Centre, who declared to the crowd that the proceedings were under way. This was followed by a speech from
Rhodri Morgan Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and ...
, the
First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...
, who stressed that the new arts centre belonged to the whole nation, that it was for all of the people of Wales and not just for the elite. The building was opened by Janet Thickpenny, a young mother from
Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...
, who was chosen because her 40th birthday coincided with that of the opening day. A human chain delivered the symbolic key, designed and cast by Ann Catrin Evans, to Janet with a fanfare from the National Youth Brass Band of Wales to a Karl Jenkins specially commissioned work ''
In These Stones Horizons Sing ''In These Stones, Horizons Sing'' is a work for choir, chorus and orchestra composed by Karl Jenkins. It was commissioned for the opening of Wales Millennium Centre and first performed at its opening in November 2004. The work includes text in bo ...
'' and the Wales Millennium Centre was open. The evening celebrations began with ''Cymru for the World'', which celebrated the achievements of five leading Welsh artists; Gwyneth Jones, Shirley Bassey, Siân Phillips, Alun Hoddinott and Richard Burton, represented by his daughter Kate Burton. This included tributes from
Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Sieg ...
, Jonathan Pryce,
Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as '' Hamlet'', '' Much Ado About Nothing'', '' Macbeth'', '' Twelfth Night'', '' The Tempest'', ' ...
, Nana Mouskouri, Catrin Finch,
Ruth Madoc Ruth Madoc (born Margaret Ruth Llewellyn Baker; 16 April 1943 – 9 December 2022) was a British actress who had a career on stage and screen spanning over 60 years. She was best known for her role as Gladys Pugh in the BBC television comedy ' ...
and Ian McKellen. The concert was directed by Ken Caswell and conducted by
David Charles Abell David Charles Abell (born 1958) is an American orchestral conductor, multi-instrumentalist, and musicologist. Described as “a protean talent” with “impeccable and inspired” skill as a conductor, he is active in symphonic music, opera and ...
. Bryn Terfel started off with a short speech and introduced the Wales Millennium Centre singers and dancers, who in hard hats and donkey jackets sang and danced the story of the construction of the building. They were later joined by all 322 participants in a chorus, including Gwyn Hughes Jones, Bryn Terfel and Dennis O'Neill sang a duet from ''Pearl Fishers''. Diversions performed a new ballet based on one of Alun Hoddinott's works. The Welsh National Opera performed the final scene of
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
's ''
Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Op. 72, is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, ...
'' in their new home. The evening ranged across all musical types from popular to classical. Day 2 – 27 November 2004 The second day was an open door for the public to explore the building with a continuous stream of people filling through the building from early morning until the fireworks display out in the Roald Dahl Plass. Day 3 – 28 November 2004 The final day of the opening weekend began with the arrival of
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
, Prince Philip, and the
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...
, who met
First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...
Rhodri Morgan Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and ...
and Lord Rowe-Beddoe, and marked the event by unveiling a plaque. A key was presented to Queen Elizabeth II by Richard Burton's granddaughter, Charlotte Frances Ritchie.
Philip Madoc Philip Madoc (born Philip Arvon Jones; 5 July 1934 – 5 March 2012) was a Welsh actor. He performed many stage, television, radio and film roles, and was recognised for having a "rich, sonorous voice" and often playing villains and office ...
, Siân Phillips, Gaby Roslin, Michael Ball,
Charlotte Church Charlotte Maria Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed, 21 February 1986) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress, television presenter and political activist from Cardiff. Church rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching ...
, Catrin Finch and
Only Men Aloud! Only Men Aloud is a male voice choir from Wales. The choir came to national prominence in the UK when they won the ''Last Choir Standing'' competition run by BBC television during 2008. Overview The choir was formed by Tim Rhys-Evans, a classic ...
were among the artists that entertained the audience during the first act. The second act was opened by the Welsh National Opera and later the Kirov Ballet and Cirque Éloize entertained the audience. Bryn Terfel ended the celebrations.


Awards

* 2005 Gold Medal for Architecture at the
National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitor ...
*2005 RIBA Wales award. * 2005 MIPIM Awards (Hotels & Tourism resorts) * Sustainability and Environmental Impact award from the British Institute of Facilities Management * 2005 Interior of the Year award from FX


Phase 2 (C Bay) – BBC Hoddinott Hall

Phase 2 of the Wales Millennium Centre is home to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) and the BBC National Chorus of Wales. BBC NOW moved from Studio 1 at Broadcasting House in Llandaff, which the orchestra had outgrown since the late 1960s. Phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert performed by the BBC NOW and conducted by Thierry Fischer. Phase 2 includes the 350 seater BBC Hoddinott Hall ( cy, Neuadd Hoddinott y BBC), also known simply as Hoddinott Hall, which is named after the late Welsh classical composer Alun Hoddinott CBE (11 August 1929 – 12 March 2008), and the Grace Williams Studio, which is named after another Welsh composer, Grace Williams (19 February 1906 – 10 February 1977), and is used as a centre for education and outreach work. Phase 2 also has space for practice rooms, a music library, backstage facilities, it also provides a four-storey office space for Wales Millennium Centre and the
Arts Council of Wales The Arts Council of Wales (ACW; cy, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru) is a Welsh Government-sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. Established within the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1946, as the Welsh Arts C ...
.


Design and construction

The original plans for the WMC were that it would have a concert hall, however the final design of phase 1 did not include one. Space had been left, though, for a concert hall to be built in the future when phase 1 of the WMC was opened in 2004, and construction on phase 2 was then due to begin early in 2005. However, construction of phase 2 did not actually begin until April 2007. Phase 2 was designed to fit into the WMC's curved slate frontage, with an upper part constructed from timber. Phase 2 of the WMC was designed by the then newly qualified Tim Green and Keith Vince of Capita Architecture, formerly called Capita Percy Thomas and now part of Capita Symonds, with Arup Acoustics again providing the acoustic design. The main contractor was again Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, with MJN Colston Ltd responsible for the design and installation of all the mechanical, electrical and public health services in the building. Other subcontractors on the project included
URS Corporation URS Corporation (formerly United Research Services) was an engineering, design, and construction firm and a U.S. federal government contractor. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, URS was a full-service, global organization with office ...
, Davis Langdon and Hulley & Kirkwood. Tim Green said of the building that the exterior of the building was designed to be in keeping with the existing Wales Millennium Centre, while the interior had a theme all its own. "The concept behind the design of the interior of Hoddinott Hall was that of a traditional Welsh chapel." "The timber treatment at low level is very reminiscent of Victorian chapels and the masonry above. The stonework you would normally get in a stone chapel has been replaced by concrete." During the design and construction period, the project name for phase 2 was C Bay. Construction of phase 2 began in April 2007, and ended when the keys to the building were handed over at an official ceremony in September 2008, and the beginning of the fitting out of the BBC Hoddinott Hall by
BBC Wales BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcasting, public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, ...
.


Opening Festival

To commemorate the opening of the BBC Hoddinott Hall an inaugural concert took place on 22 January 2009. It was part of the Opening Festival which took place between 22 January and 1 February 2009. The concert was performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and was conducted by Thierry Fischer. The concert included the world
premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its fi ...
of ''St Vitus in the Kettle'' by Simon Holt, the orchestra's composer in association, who took over from Michael Berkeley. The BBC Hoddinott Hall was officially opened by the Prince of Wales on 31 January 2009, where he unveiled a plaque.


Awards

* Engineering Excellence Award from the
Association for Consultancy and Engineering The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) is a British business association in the field of consultancy and engineering. ACE represents around 400 member companies, large and small, that provide professional engineering expertise in ...
. * 2009 Special Award: Best Use of Panel Products from the Wood Awards


Resident organisations

The Wales Millennium Centre is home to nine arts organisations: *
Literature Wales Literature Wales is the Welsh national literature promotion agency and society of writers, existing to promote Welsh-language and English-language literature in Wales. It offers bursaries for writing projects, runs literary events and lectures ...
– The Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society For Writers *
National Dance Company Wales National Dance Company Wales (NDCWales), formerly Diversions, is the national dance company of Wales. It was established in 1983 by Roy Campbell-Moore and Ann Sholem and is funded by the Arts Council of Wales. It was renamed in 2009. Matthew Robi ...
– previously known as Diversions – the Dance Company of Wales * Hijinx Theatre – a theatre company that promotes community work, aiming to bring together people of all ages * Touch Trust – providing educational touch and movement therapies to people with profound disabilities and autism * Tŷ Cerdd – music information centre for amateur and professional musicians, including the Welsh Music Information Centre, Welsh Amateur Music Federation, National Youth Arts Wales and Cyfansoddwyr Cymru (Composers of Wales) * Urdd Gobaith Cymru (The Welsh League of Youth) – the Welsh language youth movement *
Welsh National Opera Welsh National Opera (WNO) ( cy, Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru) is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales; it gave its first performances in 1946. It began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its ...
– an international touring opera company * BBC National Orchestra of Wales – The only professional national symphony orchestra for Wales *
Arts Council of Wales The Arts Council of Wales (ACW; cy, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru) is a Welsh Government-sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. Established within the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1946, as the Welsh Arts C ...
– The body responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales


Corporate financing and rebranding

The total cost of phase 1 of the project was £106.2 million. The National Lottery Millennium Fund provided £31.7 million, a further £37 million came from The
National Assembly for Wales The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh Go ...
and £10.4 million was donated by the
Arts Council of Wales The Arts Council of Wales (ACW; cy, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru) is a Welsh Government-sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. Established within the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1946, as the Welsh Arts C ...
. In addition a private investor, South African businessman Donald Gordon donated £20 million to be shared equally between the
Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal ...
and the Wales Millennium Centre. WMC also received a £13.5 million loan from HSBC. The remaining funds for the project came from a major sponsorship deal with the Principality Building Society. The Weston Studio is named after the Garfield Weston Foundation which funds the Glanfa Stage, and is located on Level 1 of the building. The organisation has many corporations and public bodies who provide sponsorship to WMC. The National Assembly for Wales announced on 6 November 2007 that it was to pay off the outstanding loan of £13.5 million from HSBC and also increase the annual funding. From April 2008, the National Assembly for Wales have given a grant to the Wales Millennium Centre with £3.5 million per annum for 3 years. This would only repay the capital debt and not any ongoing operating loss as the organisation remains profitable. The money used to pay the debt came from unallocated funds from the Assembly's previous budget and it was said by the Minister for Heritage, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, that the new money allocation would not come at the expense of other art projects from other parts of Wales. The cost of phase 2 of the project was approximately £18 million, however the BBC does not own the building, they have leased it for 25 years from the Lime Property Fund, which is a subsidiary of
Aviva Investors Aviva Investors is an asset management company and is part of the Aviva group. History The London unit, previously known as Morley, was founded in 1971 as Geoffrey Morley and Partners. This was bought by Globe Investment in 1988 and then sold to ...
. The building was built by Concert Bay Ltd, which is a subsidiary of Sir Robert McAlpine Enterprises Ltd who co-funded the scheme along with Lime Property Fund. In November 2006, Wales Millennium Centre announced that they would begin a two phase rebranding project. The project was won by a local Cardiff company, Sweet. The first phase of the project involved a new corporate logo, the second phase included the complete redesign of other marketing tools, such as brochures and advertisements.


In popular culture

''Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'' WMC has made numerous appearances in film and television including ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
'', whose modern era is produced locally by
BBC Wales BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcasting, public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, ...
. It has appeared seven times to date: as itself from outside in the episode "
Boom Town A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although ...
", its marquee momentarily at the end of the episode " Bad Wolf", its lobby as a hospital lobby in the far future in the episode " New Earth", and again in "
The Girl Who Waited "The Girl Who Waited" is the tenth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', and was first broadcast on BBC One and BBC America on 10 September 2011. It was written by Tom MacRae and was directe ...
",. It also appeared briefly in the episodes "
Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island soc ...
" and " The Stolen Earth", and also in the final episode of series 3, "
Last of the Time Lords "Last of the Time Lords" is the thirteenth and final episode of the third series of the revived British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One on 30 June 2007. It is the last of three episodes that form a ...
". The spin-off series '' Torchwood'', has its headquarters, known as "The Hub", set underneath the Water Tower, Roald Dahl Plass, with the Wales Millennium Centre's frontage featuring heavily through the show. ''Jones Jones Jones'' On 3 November 2006, a record breaking attempt to gather the most people with the same surname, Jones, took place at WMC under the show banner ''Jones Jones Jones'', filmed for television by
S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking ...
. The record was broken with 1,224 Joneses filling the Donald Gordon Theatre. The previous record was set in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
in 2004 when 583 people gathered who had the same surname of Norberg. ''Gavin & Stacey'' Episode 1 of the second series of BBC TV show '' Gavin & Stacey'' was filmed in the Wales Millennium Centre. The centre was supposed to be an airport.


References

Notes


External links

*
Wales Millennium Centre on the BBC Wales websiteCardiff Bay Visitor CentreWales Millennium Centre on the Welsh Assembly Government websiteWales Millennium Centre (phase 1) on the Sir Robert McAlpine websiteBBC Hoddinott Hall (phase 2) on the Sir Robert McAlpine websiteC Bay (BBC Hoddinott Hall phase 2) on the MJN Colston websiteJonathan Adams, architect, discusses the Wales Millennium CentreHoddinott Hall
on the ''
Architects' Journal ''Architects' Journal'' is an architectural magazine published in London by Metropolis International. History The first edition was produced in 1895. Originally named ''The Builder's Journal and Architectural Record'', from 1906 to 1910 it was ...
'' website
Arup
{{good article Arts centres in Cardiff Buildings and structures completed in 2004 Buildings and structures celebrating the third millennium Music venues in Cardiff Opera houses in Wales Dance venues in Wales Landmarks in Cardiff Tourist attractions in Cardiff Percy Thomas buildings Exhibition and conference centres in Wales BBC Cymru Wales Theatres in Cardiff Performing arts centres in Wales 2004 establishments in Wales