Office replaces park in Cardiff

The grass outside Cineworld will make way for the new Admiral HQ.

Bridge Street Square, where building begins in December

Wintry gloom is setting in at a park in Cardiff as members of the public express disappointment that a 12-storey office block is set to replace greenery.

Bridge Street Square, known to most as ‘the park outside Cineworld’, has always been marked for development as part of the modernisation of Cardiff’s city centre. However, now that people are used to a pleasant space, there was frustration at finding out that building work is due to begin in December.

The 220,000 sq ft office will house 3,000 Admiral employees and provide services such as cafés for public use. However, judging from the reactions of some members of the public, the park is more highly valued than yet more cafés.

Opinions from the public:

Paris Palmer and Alton Williams eat lunch on the grass when the weather is fine, and commented that they often see people from other offices doing the same, “It’s a good place to meet, outside TGI Friday’s,” as Alton pointed out. Paris described the loss of the park as a waste, and added, “It’s nice to see some grass about – there’s not much [in the centre of Cardiff].”

Ceth, from Cardiff, summed up her views on the subject by saying, “that’s shite”, and questioned why the office could not have been built somewhere else.

Sophie, also from Cardiff, pointed out that the area used to be a car park, and wondered what the point was of not only turfing the area, but also planting trees, if it was only ever an interim measure. She was also the only person spoken to who knew that there were plans to build there at all.

See also this article, from YourCardiff, on the aesthetic qualities of the proposed building and the fact that even some of the Councillors who approved it are not impressed by it.

Admiral, building, office, park