| BBC Broadcasting House, Cardiff | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The former studios of Broadcasting House | |
 Interactive map of BBC Broadcasting House, Cardiff | |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Location | Llantrisant Road, Llandaff,Cardiff,Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°29′51.36″N3°13′38.28″W / 51.4976000°N 3.2273000°W /51.4976000; -3.2273000 |
| Construction started | 1963 |
| Opened | 1966 |
| Inaugurated | 1 March 1967 |
| Closed | 2020 |
| Demolished | 2021–2022 |
| Owner | BBC Cymru Wales |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Dale Owen |
Broadcasting House was the headquarters ofBBC Cymru Wales' radio, television and online services, situated in northCardiff. The purpose-built facility opened in 1966 and consisted of three blocks containing studios, offices and technical facilities. In 2020 the BBC moved out, transferring toNew Broadcasting House inCentral Square, Cardiff. The building was demolished between 2021 and 2022, with the site to be used for new housing.
The building housed the national broadcaster forWales, providing a range ofEnglish andWelsh language content for audiences across Wales on television, radio and online.[1]
Broadcasting House was designed by Welsh architectDale Owen (1924–97).[2][3] Construction began in 1963.[4] The BBC moved into the building in 1966, which housed production and technical facilities, and was the principal base for BBC Cymru Wales. It was officially opened byPrincess Margaret on St David's Day (1 March) 1967.[5]
The building was located in theLlandaff area of northern Cardiff, near theRiver Taff. It was close toDanescourt railway station and served by severalCardiff Bus services.
TheBBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) and the BBC National Chorus of Wales moved out of Studio 1 at Broadcasting House into a new facility,BBC Hoddinott Hall at theWales Millennium Centre in 2009. Much of theBBC television drama studio facilities moved out in 2011 to a new facility inRoath Lock,Cardiff Bay.
In August 2013, it was announced that Broadcasting House and Ty Oldfield (Oldfield House), which is opposite Broadcasting House, was for sale, with plans to move to a new a purpose-built headquarters in Cardiff by 2018. The BBC has said that the "ageing infrastructure at Llandaff is clearly reaching the end of the road and it is time to look to the future". It was said that they considered three possible sites in Cardiff:
The Welsh Government's historic environment serviceCadw advised that the building should beGrade II listed, but in 2014John Griffiths, the Welsh Minister for Culture and Sport, overrode the advice and decided not to list the building. The decision was criticised byThe Twentieth Century Society, which described it asone of Wales' most outstanding and important post war buildings.[7][8] In 2014, it was confirmed that Broadcasting House and Ty Oldfield would be demolished and turned into 400 residential units.[5]
The BBC confirmed in 2015 that Central Square would be the location of theirnew headquarters building.[9] The BBC began to move out of the Llandaff studios during 2019.Wales Today were the last to make the move on 25 September 2020.[10] In September 2020, BBC Wales closed Broadcasting House and completed the move to Central Square.
.jpg)
The site was acquired by the development companyTaylor Wimpey for a housing development, and Broadcasting House was demolished between November 2021 through to 2022.[11][12] The site is now called Parc Llandaf, that will eventually include 377 homes with one and two bedroom apartments, plus three, four and five bedroom houses.[13]
The building was modernist in style, and aspects of Dale Owen's design reflectedWalter Gropius's 1948 design of theGraduate Center atHarvard University in Massachusetts. Owen had studied at Harvard, and had spent a year working in Gropius's architectural practice,The Architects Collaborative. The design was also influenced byMies van der Rohe's 1949 design of theLake Shore Drive apartment buildings in Chicago.[14]
The building incorporated a long low-rise section housing the studios and a tower for the administration offices. The use of a concrete structural frame enabled large areas of glazing, and the main Llantrisant Road elevation was partially glazed.[14]
Television programmes produced at Broadcasting House Cardiff includedBBC Wales Today,Newyddion,Doctor Who Confidential,The Chatterley Affair,Pobol y Cwm,Belonging,High Hopes,Satellite City andThe District Nurse.[citation needed]
It was announced in March 2009 that theBBC would move the filming of shows such asCasualty andCrimewatch to theRoath Lock studios inCardiff.[15]
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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