The scheme replaces a 1960s-designed theatre which has sat vacant since 2014 – it seeks to create a viable use for the site to support Conwy’s tourism industry with a nod to its 13th-century use as a market.
Conwy, a medieval walled town, is part of the Castles and Walls of Edward 1st World Heritage Site and home to some of the world’s most important examples of 13th-century military architecture. Conwy Civic Hall is a complex site comprising the Entrance range of Conwy Public Library (Grade II), an unlisted 1960s addition and the Conwy Town Walls, including the Lower Gate (a scheduled monument).
The design is based on a thorough analysis of Conwy’s character: a unique and idiosyncratic roofscape juxtaposed with defensive walls, all of which are considered fundamental to the town’s identity. Its restrained material palette aims to blend into the building’s surroundings in tone, colour and texture. The form is a departure from the existing 1960s structure and re-introduces softer pitch roof forms in keeping with the building’s surrounding roofscape, responding positively to the outstanding universal value of this World Heritage Site.
Matt Osmont, Practice Director and Conwy studio lead, said:
“Working on Conwy Civic Hall has been fascinating from a conservation point of view but also typologically. A Civic Hall perhaps more than most building types needs to represent its community. This is why it was critical that our architectural approach reflects the results of our public consultation and the views of the project stakeholders, including ICOMOS.”
“Our team's confident approach offers a playful interpretation of Conwy's roofscape while respectfully creating a buffer between the mediaeval town walls and the Victorian townscape. The current design balances the need for managing change within a historic environment while retaining the compelling layered approach that makes Conwy Civic Hall so special."