The University of Wales Registry () is the administrative headquarters of the

University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...

, located in

Cathays Park Cathays Park () or Cardiff Civic Centre is a civic centre area in the Cardiff City Centre, city centre of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings and a central park area, Alexandra Gardens. It ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, Wales. The University of Wales was a confederal University founded in 1893. It functioned as the degree-awarding authority for its member institutions and existed to support their academic activities. Following a series of controversies, it was decided in 2011 to merge the university with the

University of Wales Trinity Saint David The University of Wales Trinity Saint David () is a public university with three main campuses in South West Wales, in Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea, a fourth campus in London, and learning centres in Cardiff, and Birmingham. The university ...

. As of August 2017, the two universities were fully integrated but the merger had not been legally finalised. The Registry is located on King Edward VII Avenue in

, Cardiff's Civic Centre. It became a Grade II listed building on 25 January 1966.

The Building

In 1902 the Cardiff Corporation reached an agreement with the University of Wales to locate their main administrative office in Cathays Park, and gifted the land to the university, along with £6,000 for the erection of a building whose designs met their approval. Designs were invited, and that by

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

architect H.W. Wills was selected. The foundation stone was laid in 1903 and the building was completed in the next year. It was the first building to open in Cathays Park, and remains the smallest. The building is in an

English Renaissance The English Renaissance was a Cultural movement, cultural and Art movement, artistic movement in England during the late 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that is usually regarded as beginni ...

style, and dressed in

portland stone Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The quarries are cut in beds of whi ...

, in common with the other buildings of Cathays Park. It is composed of three bays on each side of a central portion, and is a single storey. In front of the building there are a series of iron posts, capped with dragon sculptures by Welsh sculptor

Goscombe John Sir William Goscombe John (21 February 1860 – 15 December 1952) was a prolific Welsh sculptor known for his many public memorials. As a sculptor, John developed a distinctive style of his own while respecting classical traditions and forms o ...

. In 1933 an extension was added to the rear of the building, designed by

Thomas Alwyn Lloyd Thomas Alwyn Lloyd OBE (11 August 1881 – 19 June 1960), known as ''T. Alwyn Lloyd'', was a Welsh architect and town planner. He was one of the founders of the Town Planning Institute in 1914 and its President in 1933. He was also a founding m ...

References

External links

University of Wales, Registry official site
* {{Commons category-inline, University of Wales Registry Grade II listed buildings in Cardiff Cardiff University Cathays Park