The conversion of the vacant chapel was to provide a modern community hub. The new facilities included within the refurbishment brought the century-old chapel back to its original finish, with a contemporary installation of modern services that one would expect to find in any 21st century library and office facility with associated café area.

A key challenge was the integration of listed features within the building with contemporary features: the pod (meeting area), glass link bridge, enclosed mezzanine, and altar areas, with associated structured glazing.

The chapel adjoins the Four Elms GP surgery, so a significant consideration was maintaining fire escapes and avoiding disruption to the clinic and Infirmary during a global pandemic.

The programme strict timescales required installing a birdcage scaffold, so the roof could be restored while setting down foundations to carry the structural frame. Then the floor finishes in parquet flooring and quarry tile were re-installed and finished to achieve CADW and listed building approval.

The modern refurbishment does, counter-intuitively, enhance the existing features of the Chapel – such has high level filigree on ceilings and detail such as shields and crowns and gold rosettes. Within the chapel and through the installation of mezzanine access, guests are now at eye-level with these historic artefacts, all of which were fully restored to their original state. Similarly, the refurbished stain-glass windows are fully visible through coordination of internal lighting and apertures that set them out like oil paintings.

The work completed at Cardiff Royal Infirmary Chapel was a rare chance for us to blend detail-orientated restoration of an old landmark with new methods of construction and technologies, delivering a multi-purpose venue that is more than the sum of its parts.