Wales Millennium Centre
The Armadillo | |
Logo used since 2019 | |
Main entrance to the Wales Millennium Centre on Roald Dahl Plass | |
| Location | Bute Place, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°27′54.14″N 3°9′48.72″W / 51.4650389°N 3.1635333°W |
| Owner | Phase 1: Wales Millennium Centre Phase 2: Lime Property Fund (Aviva Investors) |
| Operator | Phase 1: Wales Millennium Centre Phase 2: BBC |
| Type | Company limited by guarantee |
| Capacity | Donald Gordon Theatre: 1,897 BBC Hoddinott Hall: 350 Weston Studio Theatre: 250 Cabaret: 140 Grace Williams Studio: 60 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 2002 |
| Opened | Phase 1: 26–28 November 2004 Phase 2: 31 January 2009 |
| Renovated | 2022/3 (Phase 1 Refurbishment) |
| Construction cost | Phase 1: £106.2 million Phase 2: £18 million Phase 1 Refurbishment: £4 million |
| Architect | Phase 1: Jonathan Adams (Percy Thomas Partnership) Phase 2: Tim Green and Keith Vince (Capita Percy Thomas) Phase 1 Refurbishment: Richard H Powell (interior designers) |
| Structural engineer | Arup Group |
| Main contractors | Sir Robert McAlpine |
| Tenants | |
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| Website | |
| www | |
Building details | |
| Technical details | |
| Material | 4,500 tonnes of structural steel 2,000 tonnes of recycled Welsh slate (cladding) |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Floor area | 37,000 m2 (400,000 sq ft) |
| Lifts/elevators | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access | Cardiff Bay Baycar Cardiff Waterbus |
Wales Millennium Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is Wales' national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of 7.5 acres (3.0 ha). Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert.
The centre is Cardiff's principal receiving venue for large-scale opera, ballet, contemporary dance and musicals. It comprises a large theatre and a smaller hall with a shop, bars and a café. It houses the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and opera, dance, theatre and literature companies, with a total of eight arts organisations in residence.
In 2012 the Centre announced that it would also be a producing company. Its productions across the genres have been performed in London, Edinburgh and Australia. In 2021 and 2024 it was in co-production with the Royal National Theatre.
The main theatre, the Donald Gordon Theatre, has 1,896 seats, and is the second-largest stage in Europe. The BBC Hoddinott Hall seats 350 and the Weston Studio Theatre seats 250.
In 2001 Lord Rowe-Beddoe was appointed chair of Wales Millennium Centre, a company limited by guarantee. Peter Swinburn is the current chair of Wales Millennium Centre.