Thu Oct 30, 2014 11:12 am
I read that. It doesn't tell us anything we don't know or haven't guessed and is incredibly vague on detail ie. no mention of the bus station.
What does concern me is the prospect of a 27 storey tower for student accommodation. This type of accommodation is almost always architecturally shit. The tower in Leeds (is it called Opal?) is offensive in every way. Our own Ty Pont Haearn is probably the worst tall building in Cardiff (and I include the tower blocks in Butetown and Gabalfa in that assessment). The student castle building in Adam Street/Windsor Road is fairly dire as is Talybont Court on North Road, the privately built halls opposite it (Victoria Court?) and the building opposite the Aneurin Bevan pub near Gabalfa crossroads is utterly shocking etc etc etc.
Even the conversion of an existing building such as Shand House, a solid building that had contributed quietly to the streetscape for many years, managed to compromise it's integrity to such an extent that it's jarring even in the context of Newport Road, a throughfare that is as eclectic as they come. The prospect of Cardiff's version of Opal Leeds greeting visitors as they step out of Central Station is actually more distressing than leaving Marland House in situ.
