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Millennium Stadium
In 1994 a group redevelopment committee was set up to look at redeveloping the Wales National Stadium, tying in with the regeneration of West Cardiff. In 1995, the WRU won the right to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup against severe competition from the Southern Hemisphere. A review of the National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park (designed in 1962) showed that the much-loved stadium had long since been overtaken; with Twickenham and Scotland having developed stadia with capacities of 75,000 and 67,000 respectively and France about to build the Stade de France with a capacity of over 80,000.
Capacity in the old National Stadium was only 53,000 (including 11,000 standing in the East Terrace). New safety regulations would mean that the capacity would be further reduced by 'all-seater' arrangements. Added to this, there were no spectator facilities in the old Stadium other than toilets. It was decided that the new Stadium should have a roof to accommodate a requirement for multi-use and also a natural grass pitch for rugby, so a retractable roof was incorporated into the design brief, only the second such roof in Europe at the time (the first being the Amsterdam Arena, the home of Ajax Football Club). Supported by the Millennium Commission, the Millennium Stadium became the fourth redevelopment in the history of the Cardiff Arms Park site.
With the new Stadium estimated to cost over £100million, it was obvious that Government Funding would be needed. The only potential source of funding at the time was the National Lottery - set up in 1994 - as one of eight major UK projects of the Millennium Commission.
Criteria that the Millennium Stadium had to meet in order to qualify for funding were:
- Public support
- To make a substantial contribution to the community
- To look back on the past Millennium and into the new one
- Mark a significant movement in history
- Be of a high architectural design and environmental quality
- Include partnership with the local community
- Would not be possible on most commission funds
The Millennium Commission was prepared to fund a maximum of £50m worth of the redevelopment. The Welsh Rugby Union decided to raise the remainder of the £114m budget from commercial sources. After competition from the proposed Cardiff Bay Opera House in March 1996 the Millennium Commission agreed to support the redevelopment of the Cardiff Arms Park by turning the Stadium 90 Degrees, developing over the existing TAVRA and BT sites, and demolishing the Empire Pool on the corner of Wood and Park Street to create an open plaza guaranteeing safe access and entrance for anyone attending an event at the Stadium. The deal was struck and work began.
The Stadium building: some mindblowing stats
- Fifty-six thousand tonnes of concrete and steel created the Millennium Stadium
- The Stadium was re-orientated through 90 degrees, so that the pitch now runs North to South
- There is seating for 74,500 spectators overall
- There are 1500 club seats and 128 hospitality boxes
- There are 1,512 public address speakers and 10 tonnes is the total weight of the roof speakers - each the size of a filing cabinet
Millennium Stadium
Westgate Street Cardiff
CF10 1NS
Tel: 08700 138600
website Click here to see what's on
Westgate Street Cardiff
CF10 1NS
Tel: 08700 138600
website Click here to see what's on
