Main Building Centenary

Grand Designs

While the drive and vision of Viriamu Jones had made it possible for the building to exist, it was the architect William Douglas Caroe who takes the credit for the shape, scale and nature of the building. The son of the Danish Consul for Liverpool, Caroe won the competition for the design, despite having no experience of designing universities, but having earned his reputation chiefly as an ecclesiastical architect.

Caroe’s design was inspired by his days as a student at Trinity College, Cambridge. The Cardiff version would be grander, with fountains, lawns, and a Great Hall completing the ‘fourth side’ of the building along Park Place.

A further significant part of the building was officially opened by King George V and Queen Mary in 1912 – the Viriamu Jones Memorial Research Laboratory for Physics. The pair also visited the Draper’s Library and walked out on to the balcony of the Council Chamber to the delight of cheering students on the lawns below.

The laboratory stood for some years, isolated from the rest of Main Building, until later development filled the gap. Indeed, additions to the building continued into the 1960s.

It was 6th June 1962 when the Duke of Edinburgh, on one of his many visits to the University, officially opened both the new South wing and the Shandon extension to the North wing.

Further building work has taken place since – mainly internal refurbishment – but the Great Hall, which had been shelved early on because of the estimated building cost of £32,700, was never built, and so the courtyard – Main Building car park – remains open on one side.