Context

The name of the project Lyss Cadwyn, also known as Chain Court, is intended to represent the strong and proud industrial heritage of Rhondda Cynon Taf and the famous Brown Lenox chain works which were based in central Pontypridd during the industrial heyday of Wales.

The reopening of the riverfront with an attractive waterfront promenade will significantly modernise the area and bring great economic benefits to the city, not least thanks to the 14,700m² of office space designed for over 1000 people. The futuristic grey curved building housing a library, fitness facilities, a multi-purpose room for rent, and a café for visitors, is only part of the overall concept.

Construction of the building

The distinctively curved walls of the futuristic building were carefully constructed using a steel skeleton frame that was first clad with precision-engineered wood panels of laminated veneer lumber. Around 6,500 titanium zinc panels from RHEINZINK in the prePATINA blue-grey surface quality were attached to the wooden coffers of the façade. When choosing the material, the builder and architect consciously opted for a particularly natural material that plays into the concept of sustainability. This is further expressed in the use of solar panels, the use of variable refrigerant flow air source heat pumps, and one of the first hydrogen fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) systems in Wales to produce heat and electricity.

Comments

"Llys Cadwyn is at the heart of Pontypridd's regeneration - bringing hundreds of jobs to the town, increasing traffic for existing businesses and breathing new life into a large strategic site that has lay idle for so long."
– Robert Bevan, Cabinet Member for Company of the Council of Rhondda Cynon Taf

Technical specifications

Roof: 900 m² 5 t double standing seam system
RHEINZINK-prePATINA blue-grey

Façade: 1,240 m² 9 t square
Rhomboid system RHEINZINK-prePATINA blue-grey