wales millennium centre welsh arts centre located cardiff wales site covers total area acres phase building opened weekend november phase opened january inaugural concert centre hosted performances opera ballet comedy musicals centre comprises large theatre smaller halls shops bars restaurants houses national orchestra opera dance theatre literature companies total arts organisations residence home cardiff bay visitor centre main theatre gordon theatre seats bbc hall lord appointed chairman company limited guarantee board members include sir background failed cardiff bay opera house project centre replaced earlier project site cardiff bay opera house plan supported construct permanent home project failed win financial support body distributed funds national lottery international design competition attracted international applicants won iraq born architect avant garde design radical selection applicants asked submit revised designs second round competition won dazzling complex sharp lines surfaces compared inverted necklace december decided lottery money funding project suggested bid failed unpopular conservative government fear controversy favouring funding projects perceived populist millennium stadium origins wales millennium centre cardiff bay project rejected new project conceived included opera felt better reflection welsh culture change project overcome funding took years obtain buy land previous owners property division threatened build retail centre delays given large donations south african businessman loan international bank million donation split evenly spread years believed largest single private donation arts phase gordon theatre addition main theatres gordon theatre square metre phase function rooms victor room david morgan room japan room accommodations people overnight suite called city performance teaching space retractable seats building includes rehearsal rooms orchestral facilities dance studios called blue room seating bars level level level restaurant situated coffee shop ice cream wine bar free performances place day design construction centre designed local practice taken providing acoustic design building engineer concept drawings early design starting look like building today construction began february main contractor sir contractor theatre contractors included foundations glass steel slate wood door furniture glass walls architect concept building building expressed instantly building designed reflect different parts wales local welsh materials dominate history slate metal wood glass materials come wales centre built tonnes welsh slate concrete blocks million metres electric cable slate exterior building clad multi coloured slate collected welsh slate narrow windows built layers slate impression rock strata depict different stone layers sea cliffs purple slate came blue cwt green grey quarry black quarry loved going thought cliffs looked like building building capable weather hundreds years older better look wondered possible building qualities magnificent cliffs needed lot stone normal stone buildings specially cut blocks takes long time costs fortune north wales historic slate industry left mountains waste stone wants stone cut nearly years wasn good roof thrown away ideal making walls like mind architect centre main feature bronze coloured dome covers clad steel treated copper designed withstand weather conditions waterfront look increasingly better age architect decided use copper aluminium change colour age weather conditions know steel making important south wales slate making changed landscape north use special type steel won near salt laden maritime air steel near thought important materials natural texture instantly seeing distance reason felt important steel shell rough grain pattern think typical old industrial structures commonplace landscape industrial south architect inside outside building including main rear building dominated bands hardwood lining walls like exterior building principal internal spaces designed best use natural materials natural state structure detail galleries echo form exterior curving strata formed native oak ash beech birch chestnut cherry woods sources mid wales proportions reflect relative availability forest design galleries intended evoke image edge forest partly coastal nature exterior partly edge forest folklore mythology represents line real world magical world line resembles edge theatre stage form trees created gallery edges random positioning supporting columns architect incorporate bands slate glass thick cut installed glass contemporary british architectural style glass curtain said glass veins external walls use conventional glass unique way sheets glass stacked fused form solid blocks inscribed dome main entrance poetic lines written welsh poet welsh english languages lettering formed windows upstairs bar areas internally illuminated night idea monumental inscription comes roman classical architecture romans brought christianity islands custom stone form celtic cross embodies cross indigenous roman cultures welsh nation emerged monumental inscription familiar feature roman architecture inscription entrance revival classical tradition recognition formative influence roman culture nation lucky languages share half world belongs words songs stories poems helped wales proud country architect said inscription wanted words reflect architecture building copper dome reminded wales industrial heritage early poet received inspiration suggests poetic inspiration general creative vision people societies form aspirations important english words building simply translation welsh message strata slate frontage reminded sea traditionally cardiff means welsh export best world route world comes cardiff stones inside theatre literally sing opera musicals orchestral music wanted convey sense international space created art music lewis stones sing orchestral work composed commissioned opening centre opening weekend ceremony building officially opened weekend november ceremony organised creative director opening weekend day november day started speech chairman declared crowd proceedings way followed speech minister stressed new arts centre belonged nation people wales elite building opened young mother barry chosen 40th birthday coincided opening day human chain delivered symbolic key designed cast fanfare wales specially commissioned work centre open evening celebrations began world celebrated achievements leading welsh artists represented daughter included tributes concert directed conducted started short speech introduced singers dancers hard hats jackets sang danced story construction building later joined participants chorus including hughes jones sang duet performed new ballet based works performed final scene new home evening ranged musical types popular classical day november second day open door public explore centre continuous stream people filling building early morning fireworks display day november final day opening weekend began arrival queen elizabeth_ii met minister marked event unveiling plaque men aloud artists entertained audience act second act opened later entertained audience ended celebrations phase bay bbc phase centre home bbc bbc moved studio broadcasting house orchestra late 1960s phase opened january inaugural concert performed bbc conducted phase includes bbc welsh bbc known simply hall named late welsh classical composer august march named welsh composer february february centre education outreach work phase space practice rooms music library backstage facilities provides storey office space wales millennium centre design construction original plans centre concert hall final design phase include space left concert hall built future phase centre opened construction phase begin early construction phase actually begin april phase designed fit centre curved slate frontage upper constructed timber phase centre designed newly qualified capita architecture called capita thomas providing acoustic design main contractor sir responsible design installation mechanical electrical public health services building project included said building exterior building designed keeping existing wales millennium centre interior theme concept design interior hall traditional welsh chapel timber treatment low level reminiscent victorian masonry stonework normally stone chapel replaced concrete design construction period project phase construction phase began april ended keys building handed official ceremony september beginning fitting opening festival commemorate opening inaugural concert took place january opening festival took place january february concert performed conducted concert included world premiere orchestra composer association took bbc officially opened january unveiled plaque resident organisations home arts organisations literature wales welsh national literature promotion agency previously known dance company theatre company promotes community work aiming bring people ages providing educational touch movement people profound disabilities information centre amateur professional musicians including welsh amateur music federation composers wales welsh league youth welsh language youth movement international touring opera company wales professional national symphony orchestra wales body responsible funding developing arts wales home cardiff bay visitor centre corporate financing total cost phase project million provided million million came wales million donated addition private investor south african businessman donated million shared equally centre received million loan remaining funds project came major sponsorship deal today centre corporations public bodies provide sponsorship centre announced november pay outstanding loan million increase annual funding april wales given grant million years repay capital debt ongoing operating loss centre remains profitable money pay debt came funds assembly previous budget said minister heritage new money allocation come expense art projects parts wales cost phase project approximately million bbc building leased years subsidiary building built subsidiary sir enterprises ltd funded scheme november announced begin phase project project won local cardiff company sweet phase project involved new corporate logo second phase included complete redesign marketing tools advertisements popular culture doctor centre numerous appearances film television including doctor modern era produced locally appeared seven times date outside episode boom town momentarily end episode bad wolf lobby hospital lobby far future episode new earth girl waited appeared briefly episodes stolen earth final episode series time lords spin series headquarters known hub set underneath water tower frontage featuring heavily jones jones jones november record breaking attempt gather people surname jones took place centre banner filmed television record broken filling gordon theatre previous record set sweden people gathered surname second series filmed centre supposed airport
Wales Millennium Centre