Glass Pavilion For Plas Glyn y Weddw Gallery

By Taylor Hall-Jones

Glass Pavilion For Plas Glyn y Weddw Gallery 

i 106 7003lr 1600x1067 1The oldest art gallery in Wales is the independent arts centre on the Lln. Henry Kennedy, an architect, constructed the Grade II*-listed mansion between 1856 and 1857 as a Dower House for Elizabeth Love Jones-Parry to house her extensive art collection. 

The house was later converted into a public art gallery before being abandoned during World War II. It then fell into disrepair until Gwyneth and Dafydd ap Tomos, two local artists, saved it in the 1970s. In 1984, they reopened the gallery, which later became the current charitable trust. 

The centre now serves as a museum, a performing arts venue, a café, an event space, and an art gallery featuring the work of contemporary Welsh artists. 

i 106 7014lr scaledThe Glazing

The extension for the new café was inspired by the sites history and close relation to marine life as it is located near the coast. The structure consists of 89,000 acorn barnacles which creates the shell like texture. Accompanying this is IQ Glass structural glazing which has been installed just inside of the structure to create a glass pavilion and an illusion that the glazing has been cut to the shape of the circular openings on the outside structure.  

The glass pavilion ensures that the building is illuminated from 270 degrees throughout the day and also ensures that the customers of the café can enjoy the rural views. A more technical consideration for the project was that the glass needed to be able to withstand high winds from the Welsh coast. This was achieved due to the glazing used in the glass pavilion being hurricane tested and able to withstand wind levels that would very rarely appear in Wales. 

The architects thoughts.

i 106 7005lr scaledThe architects said: “This is a unique project that challenges the relationship between sculpture and architecture, and celebrates creativity, craftsmanship and collaboration. We were pleased to be involved in the creation of the new facility, which is both visually striking and environmentally sensitive and offers the capacity and flexibility required by the gallery. Key technical challenges were the creation of the three-dimensional curved forms of the café and how these would interact with the historic fabric as well as the design and co-ordination of the environmental building envelope that fits between and beyond Matthew’s handworked metal elements.” 

This fusion of traditional and modern design has been features on the world famous architects journal to further commend its elegance and beauty.  

 Working on a project with glazing requirements?  Contact us today on 01494 722880 or email: hello@iqglassuk.com 

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Taylor Hall-Jones

After completing his A-Levels in Business, Graphic Design and History, Taylor took his interest in both the world of business and graphic design into marketing. He gained his first full-time working role as a Digital Marketing Assistant at IQ Glass and is continuing to develop his skills.
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