Morgan Sindall Construction has been appointed to complete the £16.5m Pantycelyn renovation which will include external restorations and internal refurbishments
Its significance as a national heritage asset and important community for Welsh-speaking students has led to Welsh Government backing the University’s vision of the Pantycelyn renovation, earmarking £5m towards the cost of the work through its 21st Century Schools and Education Programme.
Morgan Sindall Construction was awarded the high-profile project through the South and Mid Wales Collaborative Construction Framework (SEWSCAP), which it has held a place on for almost a decade.
Plans to restore the high-profile building involve sympathetic external renovation, along with internal refurbishments spanning 70,000 sq ft. The work will create contemporary, en suite bedrooms, with high-speed internet access for up to 200 students.
In addition to communal catering and laundry facilities, there will be study and leisure spaces for use by both students and the local community included in the Pantycelyn renovation.
Construction is set to begin on 3 June 2019 and will be completed in time for the new academic year in 2020.
Senior University staff and representatives from the Pantycelyn Project Board joined members of the Morgan Sindall project team to mark the occasion at Pantycelyn on 24 May 2019.
Rob Williams, Morgan Sindall Construction area director, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be working with the University as its construction partner on such a prestigious project.
“Pantycelyn’s significance, both in terms of its history, and the role it can play in nurturing future generations of passionate Welsh-speaking students, is lost on no one involved in the project. We’ll work closely and meticulously with the University to ensure the work is completed sympathetically and in time for the hall to reopen in 2020.”
Professor Elizabeth Treasure, vice-chancellor at Aberystwyth University, added: “We are delighted to be working with Morgan Sindall Construction on the redevelopment of Pantycelyn, and to bring to life once more a hall that has been the focus for the Welsh culture at Aberystwyth University for almost half a century.
“This project represents an investment in the future of Welsh speaking students for generations to come and a unique addition to the excellent portfolio of student accommodation we offer here at Aberystwyth. We are also grateful to Welsh Government for their support for the project, which will help enhance further the excellent student experience offered by Aberystwyth.”
