The Mount Stuart
Cardiff

Situated adjacent Dock No. 3 and with spectacular panoramic views over Cardiff Bay the former Victorian offices of the Mount Stuart Dry Dock Company formed the perfect vehicle to create a two storey bar and restaurant with an exclusive rooftop garden.

Kdpa wanted to capitalise on the sites prime asset, the spectacular panoramic view of Cardiff bay, so firstly set about fully glazing the extension whilst opening it up on both levels to heighten the relationship with the vibrant bay area. With a scheme of such high external visibility the design was kept playful and inventive drawing on a multitude of influences from the sites industrial heritage to the work of local (and global) superstar Dame Shirley Bassey.

References such as the illustrative diamond from the opening sequence to ͚Diamonds Are Forever͛ form the entrance screen whereas on the first floor a brass bar complete with gold painted still life pays homage to perhaps her most famous song, Goldfinger.

Lighting design was key to creating individual moods throughout the building with the most dramatic being the lighting of the curved concrete wall surrounded by a feature glass staircase. A series of programmable uplighters highlighted every nuance in the concrete texture including the ribbed marks left by the contractors core drills which were left deliberately unfinished to highlight the work in linking the two floors. Gobo projectors washed down from above creating a dynamic visual lynchpin around which this raw industrial scheme revolves.

Photography: © Mark Wilson