Key Cardiff city centre office reaches construction milestone

The Leader of the City of Cardiff Council Cllr Huw Thomas, with Cllr Russell Goodway and Alex Smart, managing director of JR Smart, outside No 4 Capital Quarter, Cardiff.

The No 4 Capital Quarter office building in Cardiff city centre has reached a key stage in its construction.

Cardiff Council Leader Cllr Huw Thomas performed a topping out ceremony to mark the completion of the concrete structure of the 97,000 sq ft building. He was joined at the ceremony by Cllr Russell Goodway, and members of the JR Smart team.

Over the next 12 months the exterior of the building will be glazed and the internal fit out completed ready for occupation in Spring next year.

JR Smart is speculatively constructing two major office buildings totalling 170,000 sq ft of Grade A buildings, rated BREEAM Excellent, on the 10 acre Capital Quarter site fronting Tyndall Street. More than half a million square feet of new development has already been built to date. Office tenants in No 1 and No 2 Capital Quarter include Finance Wales, Network Rail, Public Health Wales, Opus Energy, Lambert Smith Hampton and Atkins.

John Smart, Chairman of JR Smart, said: “The topping out marks a key point in the construction of No 4, with construction work on the 79,000 sq ft No 3 Capital Quarter office also well on target and due for completion by June this year. We currently have almost 170,000 sq ft of Grade A office space under speculative construction on the site ready for companies to move into.”

Matt Phillips, head of the Cardiff office of property consultancy Knight Frank, said: “JR Smart is delivering an incredibly successful office-led mixed use addition to Cardiff’s central business district. To commit to building this amount of speculative office space is a huge testament to both their confidence in Cardiff and the success enjoyed at the scheme to date.

“The Capital Quarter story is an impressive one which has seen the site transform over a relatively short period of time into a key office location in the city centre, with own 300 space car park and direct access to the retail centre. We have very strong interest in the new space being delivered and will be announcing the first letting very shortly.”

The Capital Quarter buildings have been designed by Cardiff-based architectural practice Morgan2Hayman.

Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, said: “It is tremendous to see this milestone being reached in the construction of No 4 Capital Quarter. This building is another clear and tangible signal that Cardiff’s economy is thriving, and attracting significant investment from a broad range of sectors.

“As part of our Capital Ambition, we are committed to delivering continued growth in the city centre, as a location for businesses and investment. Projects like No 4 Capital Quarter show that there is a confidence and vibrancy in the Capital City Region. Our job now is to ensure that we have sustained economic growth, which benefits all Cardiff’s citizens, irrespective of social status and background.”