The Tower, Meridian Quay

The Tower, Meridian Quay
The Tower Meridian Quay
The Tower, Meridian Quay November 2015
Map
General information
LocationSwansea, Wales, United Kingdom
AddressMeridian Quay, Maritime Quarter, Swansea
Construction started2006
Completed2009
Cost£40m
Height107 m (351 ft)
Technical details
Floor count29
Design and construction
Architect(s)Latitude Architects
Structural engineerAtkins Ltd
Services engineerAtkins Ltd
Civil engineerAtkins Ltd
Main contractorCarillion

The Tower, Meridian Quay is a residential tower in Swansea, Wales. It is the tallest building in Wales. Standing at 107 m (351 ft), Meridian Quay is the only skyscraper in Wales (buildings over 100 m tall) and one of several high-rises in Swansea.[1]

Initially known as Ferrara Tower, it was part of the £50 million Meridian Quay housing and office development project.[2] A planning application for the £40 million building was approved in 2003[3] and construction work began in 2006.[4] On 26 January 2008, one of the construction workers died after falling three storeys from the tower.[5] The construction company, Carillion, chose not to release his name. A fire broke out on the 20th floor of the tower in April 2008 and took 45 minutes to extinguish.[4] The tower was topped out to its full height on 12 September 2008.[citation needed]

The tower has 29 storeys, double the number of the previous tallest building in Swansea, the BT Tower. Most of the tower houses residential apartments. The ground floor has a concierge desk which is staffed 24 hours a day, whilst the top three floors form the Grape and Olive restaurant run by the Brains Brewery.[6] This was opened following the unsuccessful 290 cover Penthouse restaurant. In 2008, it was reported that the penthouse apartment on the 26th floor was sold for £1 million.[7]

  1. ^ "Meridian Quay". Skyscrapernews. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ Atkinson, David (21 June 2008). "An 'ugly lovely town'". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Tower set to dominate city". BBC News: Wales. 19 September 2003. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b Dalling, Robert; Dowrick, Molly (29 December 2019). "The chequered past of Wales' tallest building". Wales Online. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Tower builder fall man critical". BBC News. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  6. ^ SA Brains website Archived 27 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Property view from around Wales". BBC News. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2024.