‘Monolithic’ new Welsh venue gets mixed reviews from public
WALES’ brand-new International Convention Centre is scheduled to open its doors next month.
The enormous £82m development will be the first of its kind in Wales, and promises to bring thousands of visitors to Newport for conferences and exhibitions.
Last week, a massive sculpture of a Welsh dragon was erected on the site, treating motorists to their first glimpse of a new M4 landmark.
But as construction nears its finishing stages, divided opinions have begun to emerge about the appearance of the ICC Wales.
Some have suggested the greyishgreen facade looks “drab”, and have described its blocky appearance from the motorway as “horrendous” and an “eyesore”.
Others like the modern steel-clad design, and say they don’t find it ugly or unsightly.
Michael Enea, from St Julians, said: “I want to stress that I am a fan of the development itself, but it is a monstrosity when you are driving down the M4 and you see that massive object sticking out of the trees.
“I don’t know who signed off on that and everybody I have spoken to thinks the same thing.
“As you come into Newport it is just this monolith. It reminds me of the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey.”
Michael said he is excited about the economic benefit the ICC Wales could bring to Newport.
“You get literally thousands attending political conferences who then spill into the city centre visiting the bars and restaurants,” he said.
“The inward investment is going to be great for the city.”
The project has been built as a joint venture between the Welsh Government and the Celtic Manor Resort, and will provide 26,000 sq m of total floor space for meetings, conferences and exhibitions.
An economic impact study forecast the development could bring £70m into the Welsh economy annually.
With much of that income anticipated to come from the demand for additional beds to accommodate an influx of visitors, many hotel developments have been springing up in
the city.
Ann Henderson, 69, said: “I think it is an absolute eyesore. I think it is totally out of keeping with the surrounding buildings and I just don’t like it.
“I don’t have a problem with a convention centre, it is purely the design.”
The centre is set to hold its first event – the Association of Stoma Care Nurses (ASCN) UK Annual Conference – on September 15.
Jo Badger, from Langstone, said she has changed her mind about the appearance of the ICC since the early stages of its construction.
“When it was first being built, I thought the ICC was an eyesore,” Jo, 44, said. “It was a mass of metal frames, resembled a ship frame and looked enormous.
“However, once the cladding was finished, my opinion changed. The colour is quite subtle and it doesn’t really look out of place next to a busy motorway. In fact, the motorway and the Coldra bridges supporting the motorway look quite shabby now next to it.”
She added: “I don’t think the building is ugly or unsightly. I travel to west Wales frequently and there are far worse-looking buildings further along the M4. We should consider ourselves lucky here, really.”
Martyn Butler, 65, lives in Newport city centre, and says he is a fan of the building’s design.
“There just does seem to be an attitude in Newport that if you can knock something, you knock it,” he said.
“It is often people who have never travelled further than Barry Island.
“You arrive in Wales after heading across the bridge past the Celtic Manor that is sitting up there like a citadel. I’m not sure we needed a big glass edifice there.
“I think the planners have done exactly the right thing.”
Several large conferences have already been confirmed for ICC Wales, including the 2019 UK Space Conference, due to take place at the venue in September.
Other signed-off events include Alzheimer’s Research UK Conference in March 2020, the British Society of Echocardiography’s BSEcho 2022, and the ACT Annual Conference in both 2020 and 2023.
ICC Wales chief executive Ian Edwards said: “When we open our doors to the first of many events at ICC Wales next month, visitors will see a world-class convention centre complete with open-air plaza, woodland views and a welcoming Welsh dragon.
“We are excited to say that everyone will have a chance to see the full picture when we welcome as many of the public as possible to a local community open day in November.”