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Cardiff vs the world.

if it's about Cardiff.. Sport, Entertainment, Transportation, Business, Development Projects, Leisure, Eating, Drinking, Nightlife, Shopping, Train Spotting! etc.. then we want it here!
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Cen

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Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 11:13 am

That "well it's better than what's there now" attitude got us the Millennium Stadium, St David's 2, the Hayes redevelopment and the Cardiff Bay redevelopment (granted, Mermaid Quay could look nicer). Sometimes it literally is a case of "it's better than what's there now". And there's nothing wrong with that. Meanwhile, Swansea has been dying, when it could have been very different.

URBANO

Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 11:20 am

I think you rather make my point.
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Cen

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Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 11:24 am

If your point is that the developments I mentioned haven't benefited the city of Cardiff, then I think most people would disagree.

URBANO

Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 11:55 am

No.I say that on the whole the developments are of so so or poor quality and could have been much better, and that to bask in their splendour reveals a provincial complacency which canny developers are only too keen to exploit.
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Cen

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Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 12:08 pm

Fair enough if you don't particularly like the developments (on the whole, people do), but there really isn't an unlimited pool of money to build the developments that wow people here. So sometimes it's a case of taking what you can get or choosing to let a city die because all the proposals aren't "wow" enough. There is of course a fine balance, but Cardiff, generally, has been very good at finding this balance.

URBANO

Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 12:22 pm

Clearly there are facts of economic life, but developers will exploit any weakness they can find. What you get is partly what they think you will take. Hence my point. The bus station development a case in hand ; almost everyone on this forum seems to agree. So mine is hardly a controversial view.

I don't like "wow". Today's wow is tomorrow's naff. Far too many of Cardiff's buildings looked (to some) wow when built but now look very naff indeed .
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Cen

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Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 12:28 pm

Yes, the bus station is indeed a development that has failed to find that "value vs style" balance, and I personally think they'll somehow pay for it eventually (if they don't change the design - which seems like it could happen). But I think developments such as St Davids 2 have hit this balance perfectly.

URBANO

Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 1:04 pm

...but almost all of Cardiff Bay hasn't .
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Cen

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Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 1:09 pm

That's debatable. I personally think the majority of Cardiff Bay is great and something you don't see anywhere else in the UK. The only thing I would change is the build quality of the Mermaid Quay restaurant quarter, and I'd do something with Roald Dahl Plas, as it's looking dirty and it's a huge waste of space currently. Some money should be spent on turning it into a proper square that fronts the WMC.
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Karl

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Re: Cardiff vs the world.

PostFri Mar 17, 2017 1:29 pm

The problem with Cardiff Bay (in my opinion) is that there is too much wow and too much crap and not enough of the stuff in between that actually creates coherent streetscapes on an urban scale.

In my view the WMC, the Senedd and the Pier Head building are great buildings and iconic. However lined up next to each other their impact is reduced and their quality is diminished.

Mermaid Quay is also shouty but not in a good way. In trying to be different the developers have amputated the streetscape and cut off the older part of Butetown. I'm pretty sure this was done on purpose to have a captive audience for its dubious charms and if you measure it by the way the old Bay is dying on it's arse then its worked a treat. What should have happened is a strong connection to Bute St/W bute Street so that it was a continuation of the streetscape rather than a discrete destination in itself.

I'm still hopeful for the Bay. Roath Dock does not appear to be progressing anytime soon but the plans that have been released look a great deal more thoughtful than the construction goldrush stuff that was chucked up in the noughties. I also like the way the ISV is being developed - despite it being cut off by umnpteen dual carriageways and uge roundabouts. I never though I'd say that but the relatively modest resi makes the place seem a bit more human and less 'american mid west'.
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