At a Glance
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50K
Yearly Visitors
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12
Heritage Buildings
- Location
- Swansea, Wales
- Offices
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-
Client
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Swansea Council
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-
Architect
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GWP Architecture
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Awards
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RSAW Welsh Architecture Conservation Award, 2025
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Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards, Regeneration & Retrofit Winner, 2024
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-
RICS Wales Awards, Heritage Project Winner, 2024
- Location
- Swansea, Wales
- Offices
- Client
-
- Swansea Council
- Architect
- GWP Architecture
- Awards
- RSAW Welsh Architecture Conservation Award, 2025
- Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards, Regeneration & Retrofit Winner, 2024
- RICS Wales Awards, Heritage Project Winner, 2024
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In 1900, the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks were the largest in the world. Derelict since its closure in 1980, much of the site was demolished leaving just a few buildings as a reminder of Swansea’s industrial heritage. Now, led by Swansea Council, that heritage is being celebrated and a community reenergised.
Backed by Heritage Lottery Funding and a sustainability initiative between the Council and Swansea University, the development of a new distillery, barrel store, and visitor centre for Penderyn Whisky heralds the start of regenerating the site for future generations. The council appointed our civil, structural, and geo-environmental engineers to drive forward the design programme for the distillery on the highly complex site.
To bring the Council’s vision to life, we started by de-risking the ground conditions through a series of investigations. We incorporated repair, restoration, and enhancement works into our engineering design for the Grade II listed Powerhouse building, which now houses Penderyn’s distillery and tasting room. With in-house support from our resident Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers (CARE) specialist, we delivered a sympathetic restoration of the listed buildings. The result is that the barrel store will be housed in a modified section of the Grade II listed Rolling Mill, which previously housed Swansea Museum’s offsite collections.
Between these buildings we designed a contemporary new-build visitor centre and interconnecting walkway. Additionally, we created a learning walk that takes people on a journey back in time, with glass floors and panels providing glimpses and interpretation of the historic tunnels and furnace pits.
The Council-led regeneration of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks celebrates and honours the people of Swansea while bringing new industry and visitors to the community, provoking learning and understanding of the past, and injecting energy and creativity for the future economy of the region.
" }At a Glance
-
50K
Yearly Visitors
-
12
Heritage Buildings
- Location
- Swansea, Wales
- Offices
-
-
Client
-
-
Swansea Council
-
-
Architect
-
GWP Architecture
-
Awards
-
RSAW Welsh Architecture Conservation Award, 2025
-
-
Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards, Regeneration & Retrofit Winner, 2024
-
-
RICS Wales Awards, Heritage Project Winner, 2024
- Location
- Swansea, Wales
- Offices
- Client
-
- Swansea Council
- Architect
- GWP Architecture
- Awards
- RSAW Welsh Architecture Conservation Award, 2025
- Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards, Regeneration & Retrofit Winner, 2024
- RICS Wales Awards, Heritage Project Winner, 2024