Patti Pavilion is an architectural oddity that has achieved Grade II listing due to its heritage in Swansea’s history. The building was built by Adelina Patti, the most famous opera singer in the world in the 1870’s. She originally bought “Craig–y–Nos” in the upper Swansea valley and set about expanding it by building a “winter garden conservatory and clock tower”. The works cost £100,000 and such was the extent of her fame, it enabled her to pay for these works with just one tour of the USA for which she charged £1000 (approx £60,000 now) per performance. Adelina was a very charitable lady who donated much of her earnings to charities across the country. In 1918, at the age of 75, Adelina donated her winter garden to the people of Swansea. The building was dismantled and finally re-erected overlooking the bay in Victoria Park, Swansea in 1920. The Pavilion had been used widely for rock concerts, festivals, cultural events and a variety of other uses, but over the years has fallen into disrepair. In the 1990’s it attracted the attention of a TV make-over programme, Challenge Anneka, to give it a new lease of life, but again the building fell into disrepair and in 2006 became further badly damaged by an arson attack. Mynde Management were then appointed to undertake the construction works to re-develop this iconic building. |
