大象传媒

Before Broadcasting House

大象传媒 Wales (5WA) opened on 13 February 1923 with a performance of Dafydd y Garreg Wen (David of the White Rock) by the singer Mostyn Thomas in a tiny studio above a music shop at 19 Castle Street, Cardiff. The 大象传媒 expanded rapidly into larger premises in Park Place and various other studios dotted across the City.

A new HQ for Wales

The arrival of television after World War II prompted the 大象传媒 to purchase a ten acre site in the grounds of a Victorian villa, Baynton House, in 1952 to house all its operations in the city. However, construction at the Llandaff site was delayed owing to the projected cost, and the fledgling television service in Wales was broadcast instead from the former Broadway Methodist Chapel in Roath from 1959 and was later joined by premises in nearby Stacey Road from 1959.

The design for the new Broadcasting House was drawn up by the Welsh architect Ivan Dale Owen in the Modern style in 1960, and the first phase was constructed between 1963 and 1966. 

Broadcasting House in Llandaff, Cardiff was the first 大象传媒 Wales building to bring together the Corporation's radio, television, news and other functions into one site. Radio studios were in use by late 1966 and the building was officially opened by HRH Princess Margaret on 1st March 1967, St David's Day.

Phase 2, the construction of television studios at Broadcasting House took place in the 1970s, requiring the demolition of Baynton House in 1975. The grounds also included the original outdoor set for the S4C drama Pobol y Cwm. In 1986 the 大象传媒 bought University College Cardiff's School of Home Economics across Llantrisant Road and created a new administration, finance and archive block, renaming it T欧 Oldfield as a tribute to former controller Alun Oldfield-Davies.

Future

Drama production moved to the newly-constructed Roath Lock Studios in March 2012. Roath Lock has nine studios, three external filming lots and post-production facilities.

大象传媒 Cymru Wales moved out of the Llantrisant Road site in 2019 to their new headquarters at Central Square next to Cardiff Central station. The Llandaff site will be demolished and the site will become housing.