Spanning the entire central bay of the Wales Millennium Centre, our newly refurbished Frwrnais (Furnace) area is the main public space of Wales’ national arts centre.
What used to be an area to buy and pick up tickets, it is now a multi-purpose space to eat, drink, meet and work as well as to find out about performances and activities within WMC.
We clad the existing bronze ceiling panels with white acoustic panels, bringing more light into the space as well as improving its acoustic comfort. A long sinuous oak counter houses a bar and café serving drinks and snacks at one end and high level seating at the other. Underfoot, we poured resin onto the existing terrazzo floor to create distinct zones for food and beverage, co-working and for meeting. Co-working and meeting zones are located towards the glass frontage, animating what was before a dark and daunting shop front for the centre. Further defining these zones are curvy banquettes at the edges of the resin. Within these respective areas is furniture that responds to the various functions, be it café tables and chairs, lounge seating or co-working tables. A long video screen along the back wall animates Furnace with ever changing video content and serves as a dynamic backdrop to the linear space.
From our recent visits to WMC, we observe that it is now well used by locals and visitors alike and is now a permanent part of local life.
Photography: Michael Franke