| Temple of Peace and Health | |
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 Interactive map of Temple of Peace and Health | |
| Location | Cathays Park, Cardiff |
| Coordinates | 51°29′14″N3°11′00″W / 51.48733°N 3.18329°W /51.48733; -3.18329 |
| Built | 1937–38 |
| Architect | SirPercy Thomas |
| Architectural styles | 1930s German/Italian public building style;[1]Art Deco[2] |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Temple of Peace & Health |
| Designated | 19 May 1975 |
| Reference no. | 13740[1] |
TheWelsh National Temple of Peace and Health, known as theTemple of Peace and Health (Welsh:Y Deml Heddwch ac Iechyd) or commonly theTemple of Peace (Y Deml Heddwch), is a non-religious civic building inCathays Park,Cardiff, the capital city ofWales. It was designed by the architect SirPercy Thomas. Since its foundation, the building has served a dual function as headquarters for health and international affairs organisations.
The building's conference and seminar facilities include the 200 capacity Marble Hall, the 50 capacity wood-panelled Council Chamber and a smaller 20 capacity meeting room. The venue has parking nearby and is within walking distance of the northern city centre. It can also be reached by rail transport fromCathays railway station.[3]
The Temple of Peace and Health was the brainchild ofDavid Davies, 1st Baron Davies, and was conceived to serve two purposes. The first was to provide a home for theKing Edward VII Welsh National Memorial Association, a voluntary organisation dedicated to the prevention, treatment and eradication oftuberculosis, which Davies had founded in 1910. Davies was also the founding president of the Welsh National Council of theLeague of Nations Union, and in 1934 he pledged£58,000 (equivalent to £5,200,000 in 2023)[4] towards the erection of a building to house the two organisations.[5]
Davies wanted the Temple of Peace and Health to be "a memorial to those gallant men from all nations who gave their lives in thewar that was to end war", so it was dedicated to the memory of those who died in that war.[6]
In founding the Temple, Davies intended to combine the goals of peace and health and to express these ideals in the architectural design of the building. The building's architect,Sir Percy Thomas, was awarded the bronze medal by theRoyal Institute of British Architects for its design. The foundation stone was laid byViscount Halifax in 1937. The building opened on 23 November 1938, with a ceremony that featured Minnie James ofDowlais, who lost three of her sons in World War I.[7]
The Temple of Peace and Health was bombed in July 1968 byWelsh nationalists in protest at the approaching investiture of Prince Charles (nowCharles III) asPrince of Wales.[8][9]
In 2018,Cardiff University bought the Temple of Peace fromPublic Health Wales, although theWelsh Centre for International Affairs remains as leaseholder of part of the building.[2]
The building is in the form of the letter T, with two wings, and is built ofPortland stone. The roofs of the wings are dark red Italian pattern tiles. The wings contain offices and committee rooms, on three levels.[10]
The central portion of the building, being deliberately higher than the wings, houses the spacious Marble Hall. Situated on the ground floor and facing the main entrance, it is lined with dove-grey marble to symbolise the emblem of peace. It serves as a meeting place of cultural and social organisations, with many lectures and conferences on international issues having been held here; it is also a venue for campaigning groups and social events.[10]
Situated immediately below the Temple Hall, the Crypt houses aBook of Remembrance for those who died in World War I. It is 1,100 pages long and contains the names of 35,000 men and women who were of Welsh birth or parentage or served in Welsh regiments. As most died onBelgian orFrench soil, the bronze used on the glass casing of the book is French, and the marble pedestal on which it rests is from Belgium. Concealed lighting illuminates the book from the roof of the Crypt.[6]
The Council Chamber is a wood-panelled room on the first floor of the building. It is used as a meeting place, and also houses many books with international themes, including part of Davies' own book collection.[10]
Much of the 2005Doctor Who episode "The End of the World" was filmed in the Marble Hall and other parts of the building. The location was used to represent aspace station five billion years in the future. The hall was also used in the episodes "Gridlock" (2007), "The Fires of Pompeii" (2008), "Cold Blood" (2010), "Let's Kill Hitler" (2011) and "Nightmare in Silver" (2013).[11]
The building has also been used as a filming location for other television shows, including the 2010Sherlock episode "The Blind Banker" andHis Dark Materials.[12]
Based at the temple are:
Media related toTemple of Peace and Health at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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