A whale suspended overhead, floor-to-ceiling tank walls and a saltwater lido busy with swimmers — new images have revealed the most detailed look yet at how Swansea‘s Civic Centre could be transformed.
The renders land a day before a public exhibition opens at Y Storfa on Oxford Street, where residents can see the proposals in person and have their say before a planning application is submitted.
Updated designs released last week showed a rooftop sundeck and a light-filled central atrium. The new set goes further — inside the planned aquarium, into the apartments, and along a seafront lined with café terraces.
Proposals for the largely vacant seafront building include a next-generation aquarium, around 130 one, two and three-bedroom apartments — up to 138 homes in the consultation documents — and a roof terrace and sundeck overlooking the bay.
Cafés, bars, shops and flexible workspaces would open onto the seafront, alongside new leisure and events facilities.
A saltwater lido on the beach below features prominently in the new images — shown as a potential future phase of the development. A year-round lido also formed part of the council’s wider ambitions for the bay set out in April.
The scheme is being brought forward by regeneration firm Urban Splash, which says its vision would reuse the existing building in its entirety rather than demolish it.
The exhibition at Y Storfa runs from noon to 6.30pm on Wednesday 8 July, and from 9am to 4.30pm on Thursday 9 July.
Comments can also be made through the consultation website or by email until 28 July, when the current consultation closes.
This round of consultation is a legal requirement before a planning application for a major development can be submitted. A separate, formal consultation run by the council will follow once the application goes in — so commenting now does not prevent anyone commenting again at that stage.
Cllr Rob Stewart, leader of Swansea Council, said: “The Civic Centre is one of the UK’s finest waterfront sites, and this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform it into a destination people will be proud of.
“We’ve listened to residents, refined the plans and now want people to tell us what they think before we take the next step.”
David Warburton, development director at Urban Splash, said: “This is a big milestone for the project and an exciting moment for Swansea.
“Our vision is to celebrate the Civic Centre’s heritage while creating a thriving waterfront destination that will serve the city for generations.”
The transformation was first revealed in January, when a dramatic artist’s impression showed the seafront building’s proposed new look. An initial round of consultation followed within a day. The vision drew crowds when it went on show in early February, and the council’s cabinet approved further design work in March.
The £20m project is backed by UK Government funding secured in March through the Pride in Place scheme. The award came days after Swansea West MP Torsten Bell called for the building’s revival to be the city’s next big regeneration step.
The building’s redevelopment is the first phase of a £750m, 20-year regeneration partnership between the council and Urban Splash, covering seven sites across the city.
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