Bringing forward history

This proposal addresses the heritage and history of Resolven with the aim of weaving the coal mining history with the fabric of the building, creating an atmosphere to reflect the feeling of being down inside the coal mines.

The directors of the Resolven Miners Welfare Centre expressed great connection with the history of the town when setting out their brief.

This was achieved by bringing through the atmosphere of the mines within the proposal.

The result from decisions made in the Technical Imagination exercise can be clearly seen in the interior render. The proposed skylights act as a beacon of light shining into the Theatre/Library multi-functional space. The mezzanine that houses the study area is brightly lit by the windows and skylights while the theatre seating and bookshelves below are less exposed. The exposed steel structure is reminiscent of John Cornwell’s photos of the headframes used in collieries and structures of the underground mines around Wales.