Aberystwyth Arts Centre is one of the largest in Wales, welcoming overing 750,000 visitors a year, providing a major interface with the local and regional community. The facilities include a theatre, concert hall, studio, cinema, gallery spaces, cafes, bars and retail.
The centre opened to the public in the early 1970s and whilst it has undergone several improvements and extensions over the years, it still retains a majority of its original building fabric and services. The AHMM masterplan holistically reviews the function and operation of the Centre and Student Union Building on the Penglais Campus, re-modelling certain provisions and ensuring that public access and navigation is optimised.
Key objectives of the masterplan include fixing all the roofs to stop leaks, improving the Centre’s gallery spaces, modernising the Great Hall including the relocation of the kitchen, improving back of house facilities, relocating the dance studios and office spaces and rationalising and improving the public realm. AHMM was also instrumental in supporting the University in their extensive fundraising efforts and bid preparation for the National Contemporary Arts Galleries Wales (NCAGW) submission, providing our expertise to help the University become members of the network of Galleries.
Phase 1 of the masterplan, completed in 2025, included the full refurbishment of gallery 1, stripping back the failing ventilation and lighting to expose the existing structure and layers of development history of the site within one room. Inserting a new ventilation system, which is over 60% more efficient, resulting in an embodied carbon reduction to the gallery operational energy output and new track lighting providing a flexible system that is adaptable for multiple types of gallery exhibitions.
Urgent refurbishment works to the dilapidated roof of the listed Great Hall and Theatr Y Werin were also carried out, not only to stop water ingress damaging the interiors of this famous brutalist building but to also provide greater thermal efficiency in line with the University’s ambitious Net Zero Carbon aspirations. During the tender process the Great Hall and Theatre Y Werin were listed and using our in-house specialist knowledge we were able to consult heavily with CADW, prepare a heritage impact assessment and as part of our proposals amend the listing and secure listed building consent.
