List of tallest buildings in Cardiff

This is a list of the tallest buildings in Cardiff that are 45 metres (148 feet) in height and above in the capital of Wales. They include buildings ranging from the ornate civic centre to the historic Cardiff Castle and Llandaff Cathedral.

Part of Cardiff's skyline during 2020

The city's growth is reflected in its growing skyline.^[1] As is the case with many British cities, some of Cardiff's skyline comprises 1960s and 1970s residential and commercial tower blocks. However, current development trends for high-rise buildings include upmarket apartments and office space.

Cardiff is the largest city in Wales and has the most tall buildings in the country.^[2] Designed by Rio Architects,^[3] the tallest building in Cardiff is Bridge Street Exchange at 85 m (279 ft). It replaced Capital Tower in 2018, which, at 80 m (260 ft), which had been the tallest building in Cardiff since 1970.

Cardiff Council considers a tall building within the city centre and Cardiff Bay to be 8 storeys or more or from 25 m (82 ft) in height.^[4] Any proposals to the council for a tall building should "Generally be located within an existing cluster or form part of a proposal to create a new cluster (a cluster can be defined as a group of buildings which form a visual cohesion from more than one viewing point)".^[4]

Tallest buildings

Tallest habitable buildings

The buildings are habitable either on a permanent or temporary basis, including residences or businesses.

Rank	Name	Height (m)	Height (ft)	Floors	Year	Use	Location	Source	Image	Notes
1	Bridge Street Exchange	85	279	26	2018	Residential and retail units	51.4800°N 3.1725°W / 51.4800; -3.1725 (Bridge Street Exchange)	[5][6][7]		Student accommodation
2	Wood Street House	83.5	274	22	2023	Residential	51.4773°N 3.1786°W / 51.4773; -3.1786 (Interchange Tower)	[8]		4 Central Square includes Cardiff Bus Interchange on the ground floor with Legal & General offices above it, plus Wood Street House.
3	Capital Tower	80	262	25	1967	Office and retail units	51.4829°N 3.1776°W / 51.4829; -3.1776 (Capital Tower)	[9]		From 1967 until 2018, the tallest building in Cardiff to the top of the roof (architectural feature).
4	Stadium House	78 (excluding spire)	256 (excluding spire)	17	1976 (Renovated 2002)	Office	51.4778°N 3.1806°W / 51.4778; -3.1806 (Stadium House)	[10]		The lower levels of the building houses the Cardiff Empire Telephone Exchange. Also see Tallest uninhabitable buildings below.
5	Zenith, Capital Quarter	75[note 1]	246	26	2019	Residential	51.4764°N 3.1715°W / 51.4764; -3.1715 (Zenith)	[12]		Student accommodation
6	The Copper Works (Y Gwaith Copr), Capital Quarter	75	246	23	2023	Residential	51.4767°N 3.1709°W / 51.4767; -3.1709 (The Copper Works)	[13]
7	Altolusso	72	236	23	2005	Residential	51.4775°N 3.1725°W / 51.4775; -3.1725 (Altolusso)	[14]
8	Tŷ Pont Haearn	63	207	21	2005	Residential and lower multi-storey car park	51.4780°N 3.1725°W / 51.4780; -3.1725 (Ty Pont Haearn)	[15]		Student accommodation
	Meridian Gate	63	207	21	2009	Hotel	51.4768°N 3.1737°W / 51.4768; -3.1737 (Meridian Gate)	[16]
10	Tŷ Admiral	61	203	14	2015	Office and retail units	51.4795°N 3.1728°W / 51.4795; -3.1728 (Ty Admiral)	[17]		Not to be confused with Admiral House. Designed by Glenn Howells Architects at a cost of £58 million.
	Premier Inn (Stadium) Hotel	61	200	18	2023	Hotel / restaurants	51.4763°N 3.1755°W / 51.4763; -3.1755 (Premier Inn Hotel)	[8]
12	Holland House	60.3	198	15	1968 (Renovated 2004)[18]	Hotel	51.4836°N 3.1672°W / 51.4836; -3.1672 (Holland House)	[19]		Converted office block
13	William Morgan House	58 (approx)	190	12	2020	Office	51.4776°N 3.1801°W / 51.4776; -3.1801 (William Morgan House)	[20]		UK Government Regional Hub and offices of HMRC. Named after the bible translator William Morgan (1545–1604).[21]
	Helmont House	58	190	12	1984	Office / Hotel	51.4810°N 3.1713°W / 51.4810; -3.1713 (Helmont House)	[22]
	Brunel House	58	190	16	1974[23]	Office and retail units	51.4823°N 3.1698°W / 51.4823; -3.1698 (Brunel House)	[24]		Originally called Great Western House, headquarters for the Western Region of British Rail.[25]
16	Pendeen House, Ferry Court	56	184	19	2014	Residential	51.45365°N 3.1768°W / 51.45365; -3.1768 (Pendeen House)	[26]
17	Vita Student Cardiff, 11 Park Place	55.2	181	18	2022	Residential	51.4841°N 3.1749°W / 51.4841; -3.1749 (Vita Student Cardiff)	[27]		Student accommodation
18	Admiral House	55	180	16	2006 (Renovated)	Residential	51.4842°N 3.1656°W / 51.4842; -3.1656 (Admiral House)	[28]		Not to be confused with Tŷ Admiral
19	Landmark Place	51	167	17	2004	Residential and retail units	51.4815°N 3.1713°W / 51.4815; -3.1713 (Landmark Place)	[29]
20	Cardiff University Tower Building	50	164	12	–	University	51.4888°N 3.1808°W / 51.4888; -3.1808 (Cardiff University Tower Building)	[30]
21	Verse, 47-53 Charles Street	50.5	165	16	2023	Residential	51.4803°N 3.1729°W / 51.4803; -3.1729 (Verse apartments)	[31]
22	Vega House, Celestia	48	158		2007	Residential	51.4643°N 3.1590°W / 51.4643; -3.1590 (Celestia)	[32]
	Southgate House	48	157	13	1978	Office / Retail	51.4778°N 3.1792°W / 51.4778; -3.1792 (Southgate House)	[33]		Twin tower office block comprising one block 13 storeys and one block of 11 storeys
24	Loudoun House	47	154	16	1964	Residential	51.4699°N 3.1703°W / 51.4699; -3.1703 (Loudoun House)	[34]		In Butetown, a district of south Cardiff.
	Nelson House	47	154	16	1964	Residential	51.4701°N 3.1709°W / 51.4701; -3.1709 (Nelson House)	[35]		In Butetown.
26	ISIS 3D	46	151	15	2007	Residential	51.4675°N 3.1747°W / 51.4675; -3.1747 (ISIS 3D)	[36]
	McKenzie House	46	151	12	–	University	51.4840°N 3.1661°W / 51.4840; -3.1661 (McKenzie House)	[37]		Previously known as NPI House
	Eastgate House	46	151	14	1969	Office	51.4851°N 3.1658°W / 51.4851; -3.1658 (Eastgate House)	[38]
29	The Aspect	45	148	15	1960s, renovated 2002	Residential and retail units	51.4827°N 3.1710°W / 51.4827; -3.1710 (The Aspect)	[39]		Converted office block (Fanum House) with 2 additional storeys added in 2002.[40]
	Century Wharf: Strata	45	148	15	2009	Residential	51.4681°N 3.1761°W / 51.4681; -3.1761 (Century Wharf: Strata)	[41]
	The Neighbourhood	45	148	11	–	Residential and retail units	51.4860°N 3.1662°W / 51.4860; -3.1662 (The Neighbourhood)	[42][43][44]		Former City Road campus of Coleg Glan Hafren, converted in 2016 into a student accommodation and a coffee shop.

Tallest uninhabitable buildings

List of tallest uninhabitable buildings 40 m (130 ft) or above. An uninhabitable building refers to a building where most of the height is taken up by an architectural feature which is not habitable, such as a mast, or bell tower.

Rank	Name	Height (m)	Height (ft)	Year	Use	Location	Source	Image	Notes
1	Stadium House	125 (including spire)	410 (including spire)	1976 (Renovated 2002)	Office	51.4778°N 3.1806°W / 51.4778; -3.1806 (Stadium House)	[10]		With the communications mast, the structure (added in 2002) is the highest point in Cardiff. The stainless steel mast measures 131 feet (40 m).
2	Principality Stadium	90 (masts)	295 (masts)	1999	Stadium	51.4780°N 3.1825°W / 51.4780; -3.1825 (Millennium Stadium)	[45]
3	Llandaff Cathedral	59.40	195	1290	Cathedral	51.4958°N 3.2180°W / 51.4958; -3.2180 (Llandaff Cathedral)	[46]		In Llandaff, a suburb of north Cardiff. Until 1967, the tallest building in Cardiff to the top of the spire (architectural feature).
4	Cardiff City Hall Clock Tower	59	194	1905	Civic building	51.4850°N 3.1792°W / 51.4850; -3.1792 (Cardiff City Hall Clock Tower)	[47]
5	St Andrews United Reformed Church	46	150	1900	Church	51.4960°N 3.1645°W / 51.4960; -3.1645 (St Andrews URC Church, Roath)	[48]
6	Cardiff Castle Clock Tower	40	131	1873	Monument	51.4813°N 3.182°W / 51.4813; -3.182 (Cardiff Castle Clock Tower)	[49]
	St John the Baptist Church	40	131	circa 1490	Church	51.4807°N 3.1783°W / 51.4807; -3.1783 (St John the Baptist Church)	[50]

Buildings under construction, approved for construction or proposed

This list comprises buildings which are either under construction, approved for construction or proposed (April 2024).

Rank	Name	Height (m)	Height (ft)	Floors	Approved (Year)	Under Construction	Image	Use	Source
1	Custom House Street Tower	132	433	42	2016	No - construction halted after the installation of drainage/manhole	Currently on hold	Student accommodation / retail	[51][52]
2	5 Central Square	113	370	35	2023	No	-	Residential	[53][54][55]
3	Harlech Court, Bute Terrace			35	Proposed	Yes	During demolition	Residential	[56]
4	John Street Tower (John Street - North)	99	324		2018	No	-	Mixed use	[57]
5	Hallinans House	99	324	32	2017	No	Current building	Mixed use	[58][59]
6	Apartment tower, 1-6 Guildford Crescent	96	314	30	2021	Yes	In progress	Residential	[60][61]
7	Plot 1, Central Quay	90.5	296	29	2022	Yes	In progress	Mixed use	[62]
8	Friary House			Up to 28	2024	No	Current building	Mixed use	[63][64]
9	Gramercy Tower, 6 Curran Road	84	275	27	2020	Yes	In progress	Residential	[65]
10	The Embankment			25	2023	No	Current buildings	Residential	[66][67][68]
11	Plot 2, Central Quay	76	249	24	2022	Yes	In progress	Mixed use	[69]
12	Cardiff Sixth Form Boarding Hub			18	2023	Yes	In progress	Student accommodation	[70]
	Longcross Court				2024	No	Current building	Student accommodation	[71]
14	Anchor Works, Dumballs Road	52	170	15	2021	Yes	In progress	Residential	[72]

Tallest demolished buildings

This list comprises buildings that were in the tallest buildings list at 40 m (130 ft) or above that have now been demolished.

Name	Height (m)	Height (ft)	Floors	Completed	Image	Demolished	During demolition	Previous use	Location	Source
Phase 2, Government Buildings, Tŷ Glas	73	239	18	1969	February 2023	2024	November 2024	HMRC offices	51.5267°N 3.1982°W / 51.5267; -3.1982 (HM Government Offices)	[73][74]
Gleider House, Phase 1 Government Buildings, Tŷ Glas	44.50	146	11	1968	March 2020	2024	June 2024	HMRC and Tenovus offices	51.5276°N 3.1966°W / 51.5276; -3.1966 (Marriott Hotel)	[75]

Cancelled developments

This list comprises buildings which were approved for construction but later cancelled.

Rank	Name	Height (m)	Height (ft)	Floors	Proposal Date	Use	Source
1	Bay Pointe	122.8	403	33	2008	Residential	[76]
2	Glass Needle Scheme, also known as Heritage Gateway Scheme	107	352	32	2005	Residential	[77]
3	Capitol Apartments	75	246	25	2008	Residential	[78]

See also

• Cardiff city centre
• Architecture of Cardiff

Notes

1. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat estimates that the building is 85 m (279 ft), this is based on a floor count of 25 floors. The estimation has been arrived at by analyzing 8,693 other buildings of the same Residential function on this database that do have confirmed heights. The user should be aware that non-standard features, such as significant spires or raised entrances / podiums, may affect the accuracy of this estimation.^[11]