Grange Pavilion Cardiff: Benham Architects + IBI Group Wales, Modern Welsh Residential Building Photos
Grange Pavilion Cardiff by Benham Architects + IBI Group News
8 May 2022
Grange Pavilion Cardiff by Benham Architects + IBI Group – 2022 RSAW Welsh Architecture Award Winner
This is one of two projects have been awarded Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) Awards.
Grange Pavilion, Cardiff, Wales
Design: Benham Architects and IBI Group
photograph : James Alexander Foxhall
Grange Pavilion Cardiff, Wales
Jury Report
The judges were impressed by this extraordinary community project which exemplifies true collaboration. Four years were invested in community engagement to test interest and need, well before the architect put pen to paper. This led to the community partnering with Cardiff University to develop best practice methodology. This has brought meaningful change for the Grangetown community and upon the building’s completion this work has followed through into a very thorough and insightful post-occupancy exercise undertaken in collaboration with architecture students at Cardiff University.
The building itself replaces an underused and deteriorating Bowls Club with a new multi-use building which has the ability to adapt with its community. On our visit we approached the pavilion through a small park and were presented by a relatively blank brick wall, referred to as the garden wall which provides a robust, harder public facing side. A highly glazed entrance drew us through into the pavilion to views out across a protected inner garden wrapped by the building. This inner sanctum offers an attractive setting and a safe space for its users. The walls on this side of the pavilion are more high glazed and use patterned Corten steel and timber cladding to give a delicate, lighter feel.
photograph : Kyle Pearce
It’s material palette responds well to its functionality and economy of means – the use of brick is a sensible choice providing a robust and easy to maintain frontage to the park and contrasts well with the lighter materials used on the elevations facing the inner garden. The use of familiar forms, the garden wall and pitched roofs that take their cue from neighboring terraced houses, adds to the comfortable fit the pavilion has both in its physical context and in the minds of its users.
Internally the pavilion provides three large activity rooms all with different outlooks and character – one has a timber floor to facilitate dance and exercise activities. The building has a degree of flexibility built in and allows for its users to adapt it over time. We were able to see it being used by a number of different groups and witnessed some of the small changes and personalisations that are already taking place – an extra door to link to a shared kitchen, a bowling plaque placed on the wall and plans to adapt the interior.
There is a feel of care, generosity and delight in all aspects of the pavilion including a forward-thinking approach to the evolving landscape. An element of playfulness is apparent, which helps engage young people who love the little things like the bee bricks. Children from the local area were the creators of the patterns used in the Corten steel. Overall, the pavilion is proving very popular and has brought huge social value to its users, we were also impressed by its economic value and how much has been achieved on a tight budget.
photograph : Kyle Pearce
RIBA region: Wales
Architect practice: Benham Architects & IBI Group
Additional Architect practice: IBI Group
Date of completion: Aug 2020
Date of occupation: Sep 2020
Client company name: Grange Pavilion CIO
Project city/town: Cardiff
Contract value: £1,396,476.48
Gross internal area: 620.00 m²
Net internal area: 500.00 m²
Cost per m²: £2,252.00 / m²
Contractor company name: BECT
photo : Kyle Pearce
Consultants
Structural Engineers: Mann Williams
Environmental / M&E Engineers: Holloway Partnership
Quantity Surveyor / Cost Consultant: Mott MacDonald
Project Management: Mott MacDonald
Landscape Architects: The Urbanists
Student Involvement: Cardiff University
Local Authority: Cardiff Council
Community Consultations: Community Gateway
Planning Consultant: CDF Planning
Consultation: Community Gateway
Business Development: Development Trust Wales
photo : Kyle Pearce
Awards
• RIBA Regional Award
• Regional/RSAW Client of the Year
• Regional Award Short List
2022 RSAW Welsh Architecture Award Winners
2022 RSAW Welsh Architecture Awards
Grange Pavilion Cardiff: Benham Architects + IBI Group – 2022 RSAW Welsh Architecture Awards images / information from RIBA / RSAW
Location: Swansea, South Wales, UK
Welsh Architecture
Welsh Architecture Designs – architectural selection below:
Museum Of Military Medicine, Britannia Park, Harbour Drive
Architecture: Scott Brownrigg Architects
image courtesy of Scott Brownrigg
Museum Of Military Medicine
Cardiff University Innovation Campus
Design: HawkinsBrown ; HOK ; BDP ; DPP
image from architecture office
Cardiff University Innovation Campus
Techniquest, Cardiff
Architecture: HLM Architects
image courtesy of architecture office
Techniquest Building
RSAW Welsh Architecture Awards
RSAW Welsh Architecture Awards in 2017
The Chickenshed
photograph : Michael Sinclair
RSAW Welsh Architecture Awards
National Eisteddfod of Wales’ Gold Medal for Architecture 2016 Shortlist – selection:
City centre community campus, Cardiff and Vale College, Cardiff:
photo from award organisers
Caernarfon Castle Entrance Pavilion, Gwynedd:
photo : Andy Marshall
Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre, Bangor, north Wales:
photo from award organisers
The Chickenshed, Monmouth:
photo : Michael Sinclair
Shortlist for the National Eisteddfod of Wales Gold Medal for Architecture
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