Bridge Street Exchange

Bridge Street Exchange is a 26-storey high-rise building in Cardiff, Wales, with conjoining 11 and 5-storey blocks. At 85 m (279 ft) in height, it is the tallest building in Cardiff,[3] and is a mixed-use development accommodating approximately 477 students with retail units on the ground floor.[2] It is located on the eastern corner of the junction between Bridge Street and Charles Street.

Bridge Street Exchange
Bridge Street Exchange in March 2020
Alternative names71 Bridge Street
General information
StatusCompleted
Location71 Bridge Street, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Coordinates51.4801°N 3.1725°W / 51.4801; -3.1725
Construction started5 September 2016[1]
Topped-out25 April 2018[2]
Completed31 August 2018[1]
Cost£36,669,000
LandlordPrivilege Cardiff S.à r.l.[1]
Height
Roof85 m (279 ft)[3]
Technical details
Floor count26[4]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Rio Architects Ltd[5]
Structural engineerClarkebond (UK) Ltd[6]
Main contractorWatkins Jones Group Ltd[5]
Website
bridgestreet-exchange.com

History of the Site
The original building (lower half of image) before it was demolished

Charles Street was originally an area of private housing leading from Crockherbtown to Bridge Street. Now no residential properties remain in the area. 71 Bridge Street is within a Conservation Area, which is an area designated by Cardiff Council as an area of special architectural or historic interest.[7][8] The original building was built in 1984 and Cardiff Council said that it held "no historic significance and of little aesthetic value due to the inconsistent fenestration details and lack of presence at this prominent corner location".[4] Half of the site was already cleared and the remainder was undeveloped for more than 10 years.[4]

Planning permission was originally grant by Cardiff Council in 2008 for a 5-storey hostel and ground floor retail space and in 2008 for a 5-storey office development with ground floor retail space. Both of which were never implemented and subsequently lapsed.[4] The building was first proposed on 16 December 2015 when a planning application was made for a 24-storey block of student flats.[9][4] Full planning permission was granted 20 April 2016.[4]

Construction of Bridge Street Exchange
April 2017
October 2017

The building was constructed by the Watkins Jones Group of Bangor in north Wales between 5 September 2016 and 31 August 2018.[1] It was designed by Rio Architects of Cardiff. The associated archaeological work was undertaken by Rubicon Heritage Services. The Bridge Street Exchange is the tallest building in Cardiff, beating the previous record holder of Capital Tower, which had held the record since 1970.

Location

The building is bounded to the north by Wesley Lane, to the south by Bridge Street and to the west by Charles Street.[4] The address was previously at 71 and 71a Bridge Street.[4]

Objections

The building obtained planning permission on 20 April 2016,[4] despite an objection from Cathays councillor Elizabeth Clark, who said the building would be "Completely out of scale to the nearby buildings and the design jars with the historic area,” she added, "Currently, the nearest high rise building is Ty Admiral which is 55m-61m high.”[4]

See also

References
  1. "Bridge Street, Cardiff, CF10 2TS". Considerate Constructors Scheme. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  2. "Tallest building for Cardiff gets 'topped out'". BBC. 2018-04-25. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  3. "Tallest building for Cardiff gets 'topped out'". BBC. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  4. "Full Planning Permission" (PDF). Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  5. "2019 Project of the Year: RICS Awards, Wales". Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  6. "Property deals and developments celebrated at awards". Newsco Insider Limited. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  7. "Cardiff city centre Conservation Area Appraisals" (PDF). Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  8. "Conservation Areas" (PDF). Cardiff Council. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  9. "Plans have been revealed for this 24-storey block of student flats in central Cardiff". Media Wales. 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
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