Plans to upgrade and expand legendary Cardiff grassroots music venue Clwb Ifor Bach have now been submitted for planning approval. The new vision for the venue – which has helped launch the careers of many big-name Welsh bands, from Stereophonics to Super Furry Animals – is for a contemporary and fully-accessible space that will increase engagement and broaden Clwb’s activities in line with its charitable objectives.

The scheme, for which we also created a new branding design package, proposes the removal of the site’s existing first floor and the creation of a double-height performance space, comprised of a standing area/dance floor that accommodates 400 people, plus a wrap-around mezzanine balcony, creating a total capacity of 500. The scheme will also enable two venues to operate simultaneously, with an additional 200-capacity space on the upper floor that allows for intimate live music shows, events, exhibition and conferences, with the overall venue capable of holding up to 750 people across four floors.

The new designs seek above all to retain Clwb Ifor Bach’s character, charm and heritage, whilst modernising and future-proofing it for generations to come. They include the takeover of an adjacent derelict site on Cardiff’s Womanby Street, where the venue is currently celebrating 40 years of successful operation. The proposed revamped venue will include improved facilities, such as green rooms, increased toilet capacity, new bars, offices and workshops. The venue’s increased capacity will allow it to host higher-profile acts.

The old and new building exteriors will have different treatments to create a sense of ‘honest drama’. The existing building will feature a textured charcoal black render, whilst the new building will feature new, fired brickwork. Patinated, galvanised steel cladding will reach the top of the ground floor across both the old and new buildings, unifying the two.