Plaza Cinema Re-development – Project of the Year 2023 

Project of the Year 2023
Project Overview

Construction of the original Plaza Cinema began in 1939 and due to the outbreak of World War II was not completed until 1950. Despite its strategic location in the town, the building shut due to commercial pressures in 1999 and subsequently fell into a significant state of disrepair.

The building has a Grade II listed status as it presents “a very rare example in Wales of a building type which expresses the distinctive architectural vocabulary of 1930s cinema architecture”. It is one of the few cinemas from the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 1930s which have survived and was the childhood haunt of Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen.

Neath Port Talbot Council purchased the building and were was successful in securing Welsh Government funding through its ‘Building for the Future’ programme. In terms of development, the desire was to secure the building’s rich heritage but also to play a role in the regeneration of the area which unfortunately has many disadvantaged communities and levels of deprivation amongst the highest in Wales. The emerging brief was therefore to develop a building that could provide a local resource on multiple levels whilst being sympathetic to the conservation of this iconic listed building. The vision was to create a cultural venue reflecting the area’s rich history in performing arts but also providing business opportunities and encouraging the health and wellbeing of the community.

The extreme state of disrepair of the building provided some unique challenges. For instance, a large hole was present in an already fragile asbestos sheet roof which had allowed vast amounts of water to cascade through the floors. This saturated plaster and decorative coving, damaged the reinforced concrete structure, rotted timber joinery, as well as leaving elements which were intended to be retained perpetually under water. Adhering to the hierarchy of conservation, building elements were restored wherever possible and replaced only if absolutely necessary. To facilitate this, extensive surveys had to be undertaken and extensive records compiled of all building elements.

The retention and re-use of the frontage was probably the most important aspect to the heritage design strategy. This also had benefits in terms of sustainability and limited demolition and the need for new materials. Existing building demolition arisings were crushed and used to fill the former cinema seating pit and basements to ground level satisfying NRW requirements. The scheme also participated in a first of its kind circular economy initiative, with all the steel from the roof demolition being returned to site in the form of rebar used in the foundations.

a) To assist the panel of judges, please provide additional information in support of your submission that considers the Design and Delivery of the project from inception to completion

The extreme state of disrepair of the building provided some unique challenges. For instance, a large hole was present in an already fragile asbestos sheet roof which had allowed vast amounts of water to cascade through the floors. This saturated plaster and decorative coving, damaged the reinforced concrete structure, rotted timber joinery, as well as leaving elements which were intended to be retained perpetually under water. Adhering to the hierarchy of conservation, building elements were restored wherever possible and replaced only if absolutely necessary. To facilitate this, extensive surveys had to be undertaken and extensive records compiled of all building elements.

The retention and re-use of the frontage was probably the most important aspect to the heritage design strategy. This also had benefits in terms of sustainability and limited demolition and the need for new materials. Existing building demolition arisings were crushed and used to fill the former cinema seating pit and basements to ground level satisfying NRW requirements. The scheme also participated in a first of its kind circular economy initiative, with all the steel from the roof demolition being returned to site in the form of rebar used in the foundations.

The front facade comprised an iconic faience-tiled and curved glass Art Deco frontage with a more utilitarian roughcast rendered rear, both of which were both in extremely poor condition. Demolition of the rear portion of the building and connection of the new steel frame to the existing concrete structure was logistically challenging. Temporary works were not permitted to be fixed to the retained structure, requiring coordination of multiple elements. Precision demolition was carried out around the façade retention system and then connecting steels were threaded back through it to stabilise the concrete frame. This was achieved using heavy plant operating less than 2m from the neighbouring properties.

For the repair and restoration of the frontage multiple heritage specialist conservators were needed. They restored original feature hardwood doors and replicated the shopfront hardwood window frames, restored damaged and corroded crittall windows, repaired damaged faience tiling and terrazzo flooring, and repaired the reconstituted stone plinth. Specialists also manufactured the thick, large, curved glazed shopfront units and metalworkers replicated the steel downstand canopy and iconic ‘PLAZA’ sign.

The new build rear section of the building incorporated significantly different construction materials and processes. They included a steel frame structure linked to the exiting front facade, composite decks, blockwork, acoustic partitioning, curtain walling and cladding, Brise Soleil system, polycarbonate glazing, stack-bonded bricks and brick slips with colour variations.

The sustainability strategy was underpinned through building re-use, high levels of insulation, natural daylighting, heat recovery, photovoltaics, a ‘green’ roof, and sustainable drainage systems. The new-build element approach was one of fabric first, with high levels of insulation. Natural daylighting was maximised with large areas of elevational glazing, a central glazed atrium and transparent cladding to the hall. Artificial lighting was based upon a control strategy to minimise unnecessary use, along with high efficiency LED fixtures. A heat recovery system was incorporated into the ventilation system and photovoltaic cells were laid across the roof. These were set within an extensive area of biodiverse planting creating a notable ‘green’ roof, which formed part of a sustainable drainage strategy designed to manage storm water.

Prior to closing its doors in 1999 the old Plaza cinema only achieved an EPC rating of G. The refurbished building benefits from insulated walls and floor slabs, energy efficient glazing, air source heat pumps, LED energy saving lighting and renewable energy in the form of solar PV’s mounted on the performance hall roof. The scheme has used these methods to offset the period features which were retained and refurbished such as the original entrance doors and crittal windows. The improvements to the building are sympathetic and were agreed with Cadw as part of the Listed Building Consent. As part of the project soft landings strategy a number of training days were undertaken by the client and the building end users to provide them with a working knowledge of the systems, these were then supplemented by seasonal commissioning visits. Through quarterly seasonal commissioning visits the building performance is monitored by the commissioning engineers, allowing them to ensure the building is running at maximum efficiency whilst also offering advice to the end users on tweaks to the systems they could undertake after interrogating how they are using the building. Following the improvements made during the Plaza Redevelopment the newly refurbished building was able to achieve an EPC rating of A whilst still maintaining all the period features.

As a result of Listed Building Consent not being in place throughout the Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) period, permissible exploratory works were limited when compiling the works information and costs. To safeguard all parties an extremely detailed risk register was compiled in conjunction with the client and supply chain partners through numerous workshops, mutually agreeing values and ownership of risk. This process was essential to ensure the full scope of the packages were understood and the risk profile fully comprehended. Furthermore the workshops also provided the basis for Early Warning Notices and subsequent risk mitigation meetings which informed, assigned ownership to and mitigated risk for the client.

Although the above depicts the actual design and construction process, it is important to demonstrate what the finished building has achieved. As mentioned previously, the history and nostalgia of the building was of great importance to local people and this has been retained by the project team. Simple examples of this would be the retaining of the original cinema ticket booth which was one of the first things people would see as they entered the building, the illuminated ‘Pepsi’ sign which originally hung from the external canopy was seen as iconic by many people has now been restored and relocated internally within the café area. Even discussions and comments from passers-by during the project have been noted and influenced design direction, a few people mentioned that they had their first date in the Plaza cinema and the sympathetically restored cinema seating which has been relocated throughout the building and installed in pairs in some parts of the café area to maybe allow people to call for a coffee and maybe relive that first date.

What it is hoped comes across for your consideration is the passion and care that has been shown throughout the project. Also the pressure, because designing and constructing under so much public scrutiny and in such a logistically challenging location is not easy. The original vision and aspirations have certainly been met and as a local authority Neath Port Talbot often receive some negative responses with their projects but this has not occurred on this scheme whether on social media or in the press. It really does reflect the effort that has gone into the Plaza and both the Council and the community are extremely proud of it.

a) To assist the panel of judges, please provide additional information in support of your submission that considers the Design and Delivery of the project from inception to completion


The extreme state of disrepair of the building provided some unique challenges. For instance, a large hole was present in an already fragile asbestos sheet roof which had allowed vast amounts of water to cascade through the floors. This saturated plaster and decorative coving, damaged the reinforced concrete structure, rotted timber joinery, as well as leaving elements which were intended to be retained perpetually under water. Adhering to the hierarchy of conservation, building elements were restored wherever possible and replaced only if absolutely necessary. To facilitate this, extensive surveys had to be undertaken and extensive records compiled of all building elements.

The retention and re-use of the frontage was probably the most important aspect to the heritage design strategy. This also had benefits in terms of sustainability and limited demolition and the need for new materials. Existing building demolition arisings were crushed and used to fill the former cinema seating pit and basements to ground level satisfying NRW requirements. The scheme also participated in a first of its kind circular economy initiative, with all the steel from the roof demolition being returned to site in the form of rebar used in the foundations.

The front facade comprised an iconic faience-tiled and curved glass Art Deco frontage with a more utilitarian roughcast rendered rear, both of which were both in extremely poor condition. Demolition of the rear portion of the building and connection of the new steel frame to the existing concrete structure was logistically challenging. Temporary works were not permitted to be fixed to the retained structure, requiring coordination of multiple elements. Precision demolition was carried out around the façade retention system and then connecting steels were threaded back through it to stabilise the concrete frame. This was achieved using heavy plant operating less than 2m from the neighbouring properties.

For the repair and restoration of the frontage multiple heritage specialist conservators were needed. They restored original feature hardwood doors and replicated the shopfront hardwood window frames, restored damaged and corroded crittall windows, repaired damaged faience tiling and terrazzo flooring, and repaired the reconstituted stone plinth. Specialists also manufactured the thick, large, curved glazed shopfront units and metalworkers replicated the steel downstand canopy and iconic ‘PLAZA’ sign.

The new build rear section of the building incorporated significantly different construction materials and processes. They included a steel frame structure linked to the exiting front facade, composite decks, blockwork, acoustic partitioning, curtain walling and cladding, Brise Soleil system, polycarbonate glazing, stack-bonded bricks and brick slips with colour variations.

The sustainability strategy was underpinned through building re-use, high levels of insulation, natural daylighting, heat recovery, photovoltaics, a ‘green’ roof, and sustainable drainage systems. The new-build element approach was one of fabric first, with high levels of insulation. Natural daylighting was maximised with large areas of elevational glazing, a central glazed atrium and transparent cladding to the hall. Artificial lighting was based upon a control strategy to minimise unnecessary use, along with high efficiency LED fixtures. A heat recovery system was incorporated into the ventilation system and photovoltaic cells were laid across the roof. These were set within an extensive area of biodiverse planting creating a notable ‘green’ roof, which formed part of a sustainable drainage strategy designed to manage storm water.

Prior to closing its doors in 1999 the old Plaza cinema only achieved an EPC rating of G. The refurbished building benefits from insulated walls and floor slabs, energy efficient glazing, air source heat pumps, LED energy saving lighting and renewable energy in the form of solar PV’s mounted on the performance hall roof. The scheme has used these methods to offset the period features which were retained and refurbished such as the original entrance doors and crittal windows. The improvements to the building are sympathetic and were agreed with Cadw as part of the Listed Building Consent. As part of the project soft landings strategy a number of training days were undertaken by the client and the building end users to provide them with a working knowledge of the systems, these were then supplemented by seasonal commissioning visits. Through quarterly seasonal commissioning visits the building performance is monitored by the commissioning engineers, allowing them to ensure the building is running at maximum efficiency whilst also offering advice to the end users on tweaks to the systems they could undertake after interrogating how they are using the building. Following the improvements made during the Plaza Redevelopment the newly refurbished building was able to achieve an EPC rating of A whilst still maintaining all the period features.

As a result of Listed Building Consent not being in place throughout the Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) period, permissible exploratory works were limited when compiling the works information and costs. To safeguard all parties an extremely detailed risk register was compiled in conjunction with the client and supply chain partners through numerous workshops, mutually agreeing values and ownership of risk. This process was essential to ensure the full scope of the packages were understood and the risk profile fully comprehended. Furthermore the workshops also provided the basis for Early Warning Notices and subsequent risk mitigation meetings which informed, assigned ownership to and mitigated risk for the client.

Although the above depicts the actual design and construction process, it is important to demonstrate what the finished building has achieved. As mentioned previously, the history and nostalgia of the building was of great importance to local people and this has been retained by the project team. Simple examples of this would be the retaining of the original cinema ticket booth which was one of the first things people would see as they entered the building, the illuminated ‘Pepsi’ sign which originally hung from the external canopy was seen as iconic by many people has now been restored and relocated internally within the café area. Even discussions and comments from passers-by during the project have been noted and influenced design direction, a few people mentioned that they had their first date in the Plaza cinema and the sympathetically restored cinema seating which has been relocated throughout the building and installed in pairs in some parts of the café area to maybe allow people to call for a coffee and maybe relive that first date.

What it is hoped comes across for your consideration is the passion and care that has been shown throughout the project. Also the pressure, because designing and constructing under so much public scrutiny and in such a logistically challenging location is not easy. The original vision and aspirations have certainly been met and as a local authority Neath Port Talbot often receive some negative responses with their projects but this has not occurred on this scheme whether on social media or in the press. It really does reflect the effort that has gone into the Plaza and both the Council and the community are extremely proud of it.


The front facade comprised an iconic faience-tiled and curved glass Art Deco frontage with a more utilitarian roughcast rendered rear, both of which were both in extremely poor condition. Demolition of the rear portion of the building and connection of the new steel frame to the existing concrete structure was logistically challenging. Temporary works were not permitted to be fixed to the retained structure, requiring coordination of multiple elements. Precision demolition was carried out around the façade retention system and then connecting steels were threaded back through it to stabilise the concrete frame. This was achieved using heavy plant operating less than 2m from the neighbouring properties.

For the repair and restoration of the frontage multiple heritage specialist conservators were needed. They restored original feature hardwood doors and replicated the shopfront hardwood window frames, restored damaged and corroded crittall windows, repaired damaged faience tiling and terrazzo flooring, and repaired the reconstituted stone plinth. Specialists also manufactured the thick, large, curved glazed shopfront units and metalworkers replicated the steel downstand canopy and iconic ‘PLAZA’ sign.

The new build rear section of the building incorporated significantly different construction materials and processes. They included a steel frame structure linked to the exiting front facade, composite decks, blockwork, acoustic partitioning, curtain walling and cladding, Brise Soleil system, polycarbonate glazing, stack-bonded bricks and brick slips with colour variations.

The sustainability strategy was underpinned through building re-use, high levels of insulation, natural daylighting, heat recovery, photovoltaics, a ‘green’ roof, and sustainable drainage systems. The new-build element approach was one of fabric first, with high levels of insulation. Natural daylighting was maximised with large areas of elevational glazing, a central glazed atrium and transparent cladding to the hall. Artificial lighting was based upon a control strategy to minimise unnecessary use, along with high efficiency LED fixtures. A heat recovery system was incorporated into the ventilation system and photovoltaic cells were laid across the roof. These were set within an extensive area of biodiverse planting creating a notable ‘green’ roof, which formed part of a sustainable drainage strategy designed to manage storm water.

Prior to closing its doors in 1999 the old Plaza cinema only achieved an EPC rating of G. The refurbished building benefits from insulated walls and floor slabs, energy efficient glazing, air source heat pumps, LED energy saving lighting and renewable energy in the form of solar PV’s mounted on the performance hall roof. The scheme has used these methods to offset the period features which were retained and refurbished such as the original entrance doors and crittal windows. The improvements to the building are sympathetic and were agreed with Cadw as part of the Listed Building Consent. As part of the project soft landings strategy a number of training days were undertaken by the client and the building end users to provide them with a working knowledge of the systems, these were then supplemented by seasonal commissioning visits. Through quarterly seasonal commissioning visits the building performance is monitored by the commissioning engineers, allowing them to ensure the building is running at maximum efficiency whilst also offering advice to the end users on tweaks to the systems they could undertake after interrogating how they are using the building. Following the improvements made during the Plaza Redevelopment the newly refurbished building was able to achieve an EPC rating of A whilst still maintaining all the period features.

As a result of Listed Building Consent not being in place throughout the Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) period, permissible exploratory works were limited when compiling the works information and costs. To safeguard all parties an extremely detailed risk register was compiled in conjunction with the client and supply chain partners through numerous workshops, mutually agreeing values and ownership of risk. This process was essential to ensure the full scope of the packages were understood and the risk profile fully comprehended. Furthermore the workshops also provided the basis for Early Warning Notices and subsequent risk mitigation meetings which informed, assigned ownership to and mitigated risk for the client.

Although the above depicts the actual design and construction process, it is important to demonstrate what the finished building has achieved. As mentioned previously, the history and nostalgia of the building was of great importance to local people and this has been retained by the project team. Simple examples of this would be the retaining of the original cinema ticket booth which was one of the first things people would see as they entered the building, the illuminated ‘Pepsi’ sign which originally hung from the external canopy was seen as iconic by many people has now been restored and relocated internally within the café area. Even discussions and comments from passers-by during the project have been noted and influenced design direction, a few people mentioned that they had their first date in the Plaza cinema and the sympathetically restored cinema seating which has been relocated throughout the building and installed in pairs in some parts of the café area to maybe allow people to call for a coffee and maybe relive that first date.

What it is hoped comes across for your consideration is the passion and care that has been shown throughout the project. Also the pressure, because designing and constructing under so much public scrutiny and in such a logistically challenging location is not easy. The original vision and aspirations have certainly been met and as a local authority Neath Port Talbot often receive some negative responses with their projects but this has not occurred on this scheme whether on social media or in the press. It really does reflect the effort that has gone into the Plaza and both the Council and the community are extremely proud of it.