See inside iconic showroom after £3.1m makeover creates new business centre
Work to restore a Grade II listed former bicycle and car showroom and bring it back into use as a business centre has been completed.
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A total of £3.1 million has been spent on buying and refurbishing the Art Nouveau and Art Deco style Automobile Palace in the centre of Llandrindod Wells.
The work came after Powys County Council secured £1.585 million in funding from the Welsh Government and £550,000 from the UK Government.
The council is now ready to let nine business units which have been upgraded and made more energy efficient thanks to the work of its Property Design Services and Welshpool-based contractor SWG Group.
The Automobile Palace will also continue to be the home of the National Cycle Museum and of Llandrindod Wells Jobcentre.
Work on the building, which stands at the junction of Temple Street, Spa Road East and Princes Avenue, included repairing the unusual white moulded and glazed tiles used for cladding as well as window and door frames.
New roof finishes and insulation was added and 23 stone lion statues on the roof were repaired.
New interior fire doors and glazed partitions were installed, toilet facilities on the ground and first floors extended and all the office areas were refitted.
“It’s brilliant to see this iconic building in the centre of Llandrindod Wells being brought back into use in a way that we hope will encourage entrepreneurship and innovation,” said Councillor David Selby, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys.
Councillor Jake Berriman, Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys added: “It’s an important building for the town and county and is of great historical significance. It is listed because of its pioneering use of reinforced concrete and is believed to be the oldest purpose-built car showroom in Wales.”
The Automobile Palace was built between 1906 and 1911 by transport pioneer Tom Norton, who then extended in 1919.
It was initially known as ‘The Palace of Sport’ but the business name was changed from Tom Norton Ltd to The Automobile Palace Ltd in 1925.
Julian Kirkham, director at SWG Group, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to help preserve and improve one of the most recognisable buildings in Powys and look forward to working on more projects like this with the county council in the future.”
The funding for the project was secured by the council’s Economic Development and Regeneration Team.
Any businesses interested in renting one of the units should contact property.sales@powys.gov.uk
