- Posts: 463
- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:35 pm
Cen wrote:The new student block behind the Mercure looks quite nice, in my opinion. I also think the flats at Capital Quarter have a decent look to them.
Actually I agree with you. The Howard Gardens accommodation does look quite good.
Of the purpose built student accommodation (pbsa)that has gone up in Cardiff recently I can't think of any, other than Howard Gardens and the Cardiff Uni block that has been built near to the McDonalds in Gabalfa, that actually add to the urban fabric.
Glendower House is, thankfully, tucked away behind the MSCP off Dumfries Place. It's really poor. I remember when the application was made the DAS suggested that it would break the mould for buildings in Cardiff and it roundly rubbished all of the buildings around it. Hmmm. I think I prefer the po-mo car monolithic car park that dominates the east side of Dumfries Place to Glendower House which is going some. Rio Architects did the same hatchet job in the DAS for the Charles Street tower when they criticised pretty much every tall building in Cardiff. I wonder if those words will come back to haunt them if - as I fear - we end up with a ridiculous lego tower dominating the skyline and making us a laughing stock amongst the architecture geek community (admittedly a niche group but still...)
Windsor House could have been reasonable but I just cant get past the leftover porta cabin look for the top two floors.
Ty Pont Haearn speaks for itself. Vile. What they are spending 5m on to give it a re-furb I don't know - it certainly doesn't appear to be going on the exterior.
Student Castle is standard fare. Not hugely offensive but in my opinion wastes it's prominent corner site.
The stuff that has been put up on North Rd and by Gabalfa flyover over recent years is just grim. Absolutely no consideration given to the aesthetics despite them being in prominent positions on the main approach into the city centre.
The flats next to the Tramshed are really poor.
I'm sure there are more PBSA's out there, but none spring immediately to mind.
Should we really be surprised/disappointed when student accommodation turns out to be value engineered into mediocrity despite lovely renders. Looking at student builds going back to Talybont and Senghenydd Road (from the 70/80's) pretty much all PBSA is foul. It seems to me that conversions of existing buildings for student accommodation tend to be more successful particulalry as most of them take over unlovley 60/70's buildings where the scope to make things worse is much less.
I dread to think what will happen if the Bradley Place tower is given the go ahead. The renders look average which suggest that the reality will be awful.