Pierhead Building

The Pierhead Building is a Grade 1 listed building of the National Assembly for Wales and is adjacent to the Senedd building and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay, Wales. It stands as one of the city of Cardiff's most familiar landmarks.

This Grade One listed building was built in 1897 and designed by William Frame. His mentor William Burges, was the architect of Castell Coch and the newer elements of Cardiff Castle. It was a replacement for the headquarters of the Bute Dock Company which burnt down in 1892.

The firm was renamed Cardiff Railway Company in 1897. A coat of arms on the building's façade bears the company's motto "wrth ddwr a than" (by fire and water) encapsulating the elements creating the steam power which transformed Wales. Incorporating a French-Gothic Renaissance theme, the Pierhead boasts details such as hexagonal chimneys, carved friezes, gargoyles, and a highly ornamental and distinctive clock tower. Its exterior is finished in glazed terracotta blocks. These features, along with the Pierhead's role in the development of the docks, Cardiff and industrial Wales earned it the status of a Grade One listed building.

The Pierhead became the administrative office for the Port of Cardiff in 1947 and is now the location of "The Assembly at the Pierhead", the Visitor and Education Centre for the National Assembly for Wales. The exhibition provides visitors with a unique opportunity to access the most up-to-date information on who's who, what's happening and how the Assembly works.

The clock on the building is unofficially known as as "Baby Big Ben" [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/4718903.stm
title='Baby Big Ben' clock part returns
publisher=BBC News
date=2005-07-27
accessdate=2008-01-20 ] .

Views of the Pierhead Building

References