Design for Wales’ tallest building
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Custom House
Cardiff
Architecture, Visualisation, Sustainable Design, Digital Construction
Securing planning approval for Wales’ tallest building, a 42-storey mixed-use development, marks a significant achievement in Cardiff’s development. The tower forms a 447-student-bed accommodation with retail and commercial uses on the ground floor.
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The site is in a prominent yet underused location close to the main rail line into Cardiff Central Station, and its redevelopment aimed to invigorate the key part of the city.
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The design of the 130-metre-tall building successfully addresses numerous design challenges on a small and highly constrained urban site. The floor layouts are extremely efficient, maximising value while providing the opportunity for future adaptability.
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The new building will become the dominant feature within an existing cluster of tall buildings and so create a visual landmark for the city centre. A high-quality design was necessary to convince the Planning Authority and the Design Commission for Wales to support the application which was unanimously approved by the planning committee in July 2016.
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