14011

 

II  

Designated  

20/08/1992  

21/08/1998  

Cambrian Buildings  

 

Cardiff  

Butetown  

 

 

319031  

174736  

N  

On corner of Mount Stuart Square and West Bute Street. Cambrian buildings faces Square, Cymric Buildings West Bute Street.  

Commercial  

 

Cambrian buildings developed on site of Bute Town National School, 1907-10. Cymric Buildings developed on adjoining site to N, in same style, 1911. Both by Henry Budgen, architect, of Cardiff.  

South elevation of five storeys plus attic and basement, five bays. All glazing modern replacements. Modern hipped slate roof with windows. Fourth floor, above cornice, has tripartite windows, end and central bays with triangular pediments. First, second and third floors articulated by giant pilasters with Ionic derived capitals having dolphins, sea monsters, walruses, etc, bearing symbols of trade, and dolphins towards bases. Tripartite windows with shallow architraves, central windows shallow bows. Ground floor banded with large keystones to camber-headed tripartite windows. Central doorway with 'Roman bath' tripartite light above; flanking pilasters with ships, anchor chains etc in Ionic derived capitals. Three-light basement windows with decorative iron grilles, windows at ends having taller pedimented central openings. Elevation to E in same style. Eight bays in total. Four bays to L, part of Cambrian Buildings, remaning bays Cymric Buildings. Entrance doorway in fifth bay with to windows above. Surround to doorway in Portland stone as is facing to basement windows to R which have keystoned voussoir lintels.  

 

Part of a group (with Cymric Buildings) of early C20 commercial buildings by well-regarded local architect on prominent site at entrance to Mount Stuart Square. Group value.