The Coal Exchange, Cardiff

The Coal Exchange, also known as the Exchange Building, is a historic site in Cardiff. Constructed in 1888, this building showcases the Renaissance Revival architectural style, specifically influenced by French Renaissance design. Originally established as the Coal and Shipping Exchange, it functioned as a market floor and office space dedicated to the coal trade, positioning itself as a global trading hub and a vital component of Cardiff's flourishing shipping industry during its heyday.

Architecturally, the building is predominantly made of limestone, featuring a facade of pale Corsham stone on three sides and yellow brick on the western side. It is distinguished by its three stories and a basement, with additional attic stories in the central pedimented 'frontispiece', and topped with a hipped pavilion roof. The slate roof is accented with multiple yellow brick chimneys. The main southern entrance is notably grand, flanked by fluted Corinthian columns and crowned with a floral relief in a triangular pediment, above which the Royal Arms are displayed.

Internally, the Coal Exchange maintains several original features, including an entrance hall with Jacobethan-style molded plaster ceilings, paneled walls, and a floor of woodblock and inlay. The building’s centerpiece, the Coal and Shipping Hall, is encircled by galleried tiers in dark wood, although a false ceiling now reduces its height to two stories, concealing a centrally glazed roof. Noteworthy decorations include two lions on high plinths at the rear, and supporting clock faces that indicate the high tide times in Cardiff.

Transitioning through different phases, the building later served as a music venue while maintaining office operations in its West Wing until it was closed indefinitely in 2013 due to safety concerns. Following debates over its potential demolition, Cardiff Council acquired the Coal Exchange. In 2016, it was sold to Signature Living, a Liverpool-based hospitality company, which initiated a restoration project to transform the building into a hotel, aiming to preserve its historical essence while repurposing it for modern use.