Lord Callaghan (New Welsh National Assembly Building) Papers

The fonds comprises papers, 1990-2000, mainly 1998, accumulated by Lord Callaghan during his period as Chairman of the committee responsible for selecting both the architect and the design concept for the new Welsh National Assembly building in 1998.

The new National Assembly for Wales building design competition was first announced in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) on 13 June 1998 to be organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The deadline given was 10 July 1998 and fifty five architects responded. Lord Callaghan's fellow judges were lay members Elinor Bennett, Angela Gidden, Mike Reilly and Professor Robin Williams, together with two practising architects Robin Nicholson and Ian Ritchie. On 3 and 4 August eleven people were interviewed. Lord Callaghan announced a short list of six architects on 7 August. The six shortlisted practices gave a presentation of their work at the Park Thistle Hotel, Cardiff, on 15 October. The winner was announced by Lord Callaghan as The Richard Rogers Partnership. This Partnership was also responsible for designing the Millennium Dome at Greenwich.

Arranged at NLW into nine series: minutes of the National Assembly for Wales Design Competition Assessment Panel; correspondence; diaries; shortlisted architects' plans and submissions; other plans submitted; responses to Bangor and Cardiff exhibitions; press cuttings and press releases; and miscellaneous papers.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.

Donated by the Rt Hon. Lord Callaghan of Cardiff KG per Miss Jayne Thomas, Service Manager, Records Management Service, The National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff, October 2001; A2001/66.

The new National Assembly for Wales building design competition was first announced in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) on 13 June 1998 to be organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The deadline given was 10 July 1998 and fifty five architects responded. Lord Callaghan's fellow judges were lay members Elinor Bennett, Angela Gidden, Mike Reilly and Professor Robin Williams, together with two practising architects Robin Nicholson and Ian Ritchie. On 3 and 4 August eleven people were interviewed. Lord Callaghan announced a short list of six architects on 7 August. The six shortlisted practices gave a presentation of their work at the Park Thistle Hotel, Cardiff, on 15 October. The winner was announced by Lord Callaghan as The Richard Rogers Partnership. This Partnership was also responsible for designing the Millennium Dome at Greenwich.

Finding aid available in hard copy at NLW.

Compiled by Ann Francis Evans.

The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Lord Callaghan (New Welsh National Assembly Building) Papers passim

Usual copyright laws apply.

Action: All the papers of Lord Callaghan relating to the New Welsh National Assembly Building donated to NLW have been kept..

The papers were held at the National Assembly for Wales between March and October 2001, prior to their transfer to NLW.

Accruals are not expected.

Published