Altolusso
Encyclopedia
Altolusso is a residential skyscraper in Cardiff
, Wales
. The building is 72 metres (232 ft) high and has 23 floors.
The tower was the tallest residential building in Wales upon its completion in 2005, and remains one of the tallest buildings in Cardiff and in Wales.
The Y-shaped building contains 292 luxury one to three bedroom apartments with views across the city. A three storey car park allocated to the property. Altolusso is located close to The Hayes
area of Cardiff city centre
, near Cardiff International Arena
and Cardiff Queen Street railway station
.
Altolusso is Italian
for height of luxury.
The design intended not just to enhance the appeal of the development, but it was necessary to retain a high level of flatness and smoothness through the selection and application of the building's acrylic-based render to provide the building with durability and resilience against harsh weather conditions.
, to the east by Harlech Court with a car park and four-storey office building on a first floor podium and to the west by Meridian Gate
, formerly a five-storey office building occupied by Axa Insurance. Its 3-4m high Victorian masonry and brick retaining wall defines the southern boundary of the site while the dock feeder, an artificial water course, passes the south eastern corner.
, which is filmed and produced in Cardiff. Filming took place on 8 June 2006, and shows the main character, Jack Harkness, standing on top of the building overlooking Cardiff.
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The building is 72 metres (232 ft) high and has 23 floors.
The tower was the tallest residential building in Wales upon its completion in 2005, and remains one of the tallest buildings in Cardiff and in Wales.
The Y-shaped building contains 292 luxury one to three bedroom apartments with views across the city. A three storey car park allocated to the property. Altolusso is located close to The Hayes
The Hayes
The Hayes is a commercial area in the southern city centre of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Based around the road of that name leading south towards the east end of the city centre, the area is mostly pedestrianised....
area of Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
, near Cardiff International Arena
Cardiff International Arena
The Cardiff International Arena was opened on 10 September 1993, by Shirley Bassey, in front of 5,500 fans. On 1 March 2011, the Cardiff International Arena was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, after the car sales company with a branch in Newport bought the naming rights to the Cardiff...
and Cardiff Queen Street railway station
Cardiff Queen Street railway station
Cardiff Queen Street railway station is Wales' second busiest railway station in Cardiff, Wales. It is one of 20 stations in the city and two in the city centre, the other being Cardiff Central...
.
Altolusso is Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
for height of luxury.
History
Historically, the site had been used for the production and storage of coal gas since 1837; when the Cardiff Gas Light and Coke Co established their facilities in Bute Terrace (formely known as Whitmore Lane). The majority of the buildings remaining on site that were demolished in order for the scheme to proceed dated from the 1890s with some minor additions and modifications during the 1960s and 1990s.Architecture
Situated on the site of the former New College, the property retains the Victorian façade of the college for the first two floors. The façade is not listed, but was retained at the request of Cardiff Council during the planning application. It had fallen into a poor state of repair by 2003, and modifications had been made over the years (such as a driveway leading through to the rear buildings). Extensive renovation and reconstruction of the façade was carried out using stone blocks from some of the rear buildings that were demolished. The façade forms part of the three–storey main foyer with a glass atrium roof. The design of the building forms a three-leaf clover with three sweeping curvaceous wings emerging from a central service and access core.The design intended not just to enhance the appeal of the development, but it was necessary to retain a high level of flatness and smoothness through the selection and application of the building's acrylic-based render to provide the building with durability and resilience against harsh weather conditions.
Location
The building is bounded to the north by Bute Terrace, which forms part of the Cardiff inner distributor box, to the south by the main South Wales Main LineSouth Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
, to the east by Harlech Court with a car park and four-storey office building on a first floor podium and to the west by Meridian Gate
Meridian Gate, Cardiff
Meridian Gate is a hotel and residential skyscraper complex in Cardiff, Wales. Meridian Gate comprises two buildings, the taller of which is 63 metres high, has 21 floors and contains the largest hotel in Cardiff, operated by Radisson Blu. It is the joint-fifth tallest building in Cardiff...
, formerly a five-storey office building occupied by Axa Insurance. Its 3-4m high Victorian masonry and brick retaining wall defines the southern boundary of the site while the dock feeder, an artificial water course, passes the south eastern corner.
Use in media
Altolusso has been used during filming for TorchwoodTorchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
, which is filmed and produced in Cardiff. Filming took place on 8 June 2006, and shows the main character, Jack Harkness, standing on top of the building overlooking Cardiff.