County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff

I was invited by a friend to a jamming session in a Cardiff pub so after the gig finished I headed for one of my old haunts of Cardiff Bay. I drove past County Hall and saw it was nicely lit with lovely water reflections so I pulled into it's car park and had a walk around Atlantic Wharf which surrounds it.

County Hall is the main headquarters for Cardiff Council and is found alongside Bute East Dock in Cardiff Bay. It not only houses many of the Council's departments it is also used for a wide range of functions and meetings. There is also a large bar area making it an ideal venue for wedding receptions and parties etc. 

It was built 1986-7.This was at a time when the surrounding area consisted mainly of post-industrial dereliction. Hence the construction of the new building has been described in Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan as a "remarkable gesture of faith by the South Glamorgan County Council". It is seen as representative of a new form of civic building that does not dominate its surroundings by its size. County Hall was officially opened by the Right Honourable Lord Callaghan of Cardiff KG, in October 1988.


The blip photo is a 16mm wide angle 20 second exposure of the County Council Office lit up and showing reflections on Atlantic Wharf, with stars above.