All change as st fagans gets ready to make history

THESE images show the £30m transformation of one of Wales’ best-known attractions.

Visitors to St Fagans National Museum of History from today will be able to enjoy the refurbished main building as well as the brand-new Gweithdy facility.

The new unit, focused on craft skills, comes as the popular venue marks the latest stage in the biggest revamp in its 69-year history.

The main building and Gweithdy are the latest developments in the St Fagans £30m Making History project, which is due to be completed in October next year.

The work is National Museum Wales’ biggest redevelopment project ever and marks the greatest period of change for St Fagans since it was founded in 1948.

The museum’s existing Grade II listed main building, originally designed by the Percy Thomas Partnership and completed in 1975, has been transformed and refurbished.

The old courtyard has been covered, creating an atrium with a new entrance, while visitor facilities now include a new reception area, shop and cafe.

The Weston Centre for Learning includes activity spaces and a lecture theatre providing eight times more space for schools, family and adult learners.

As a result of the redevelopment project, public space in the main building has doubled.

Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Gweithdy is a brand-new sustainable building celebrating the skills of makers past and present and aims to encourage visitors of all ages to experience traditional skills firsthand.

This year visitors will be able to participate in a wide range of courses and craft workshops run by skilled craftspeople and artists, while there is also a new coffee shop.

David Anderson, director general of Amguedfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, said: “The complete redevelopment of the main building and the construction of a multi-purpose sustainable building are key to delivering our vision at St Fagans, not only to extend the timeline of the stories told at St Fagans but also to be a museum that makes a difference to people’s lives – a place where everyone can share knowledge, collections and skills and, importantly, make history together.

“The Making History project is currently one of the most significant and innovative heritage projects in the UK. It is a distinctively