IN Brief:
- Goldbeck has secured a design and build appointment for a six-level, approximately 900-space car park.
- The Atlantic Wharf scheme will include external ramps, a metal fin façade and landscaped surroundings.
- Photovoltaic panels, battery storage and electric vehicle charging are planned for the 2027 development.
Goldbeck Construction has been appointed by Cardiff Council to design and build a multi-storey car park at Atlantic Wharf in Cardiff Bay, forming part of the wider regeneration programme around the Red Dragon Centre. The proposed six-level facility will provide approximately 900 spaces, with construction completion scheduled for 2027. Its scope includes the main parking structure, access ramps, façade, external landscaping and provision for electric vehicle charging and energy systems.
The site is at the Red Dragon Centre on Hemingway Road, where the new parking provision is intended to support the wider Atlantic Wharf redevelopment. Plans for the district include leisure, hotel, commercial and other visitor uses, making the car park part of the area’s supporting transport infrastructure. The contract confirms who will design and deliver the facility, but it does not establish a start-on-site date or mean the spaces are ready for use.
Under the design and build appointment, Goldbeck is responsible for detailed design, manufacture and installation of the parking structure. The contractor’s systemised construction approach generally uses repeatable building components and controlled manufacturing processes, although the project information does not identify the exact structural grid, foundation solution or component production locations. Those specifications will govern the interfaces between the principal structure, parking decks, ramps and façade as design progresses.
The proposed facility uses a full-deck configuration arranged over six levels, with two external ramps. That layout separates the main parking decks from the routes used to travel between levels, although the completed traffic pattern and entry arrangements will be determined by the detailed design. In a large parking structure, gradients, turning movements, internal visibility and safe pedestrian routes must be coordinated with the dimensions and layout of the parking bays. The project information confirms the broad configuration but does not give the final circulation plan.
Rio Architects and Arup form part of the external design team. The proposed exterior has a naturally anodised, twisted-fin façade intended to give the six-level building a consistent architectural treatment. Integrating that envelope will require the design team to coordinate attachment points, access for maintenance and the ventilation requirements of the parking decks. Fin dimensions, quantities and detailed fire-safety provisions have not yet been disclosed.
The design also includes photovoltaic panels, battery storage and substantial provision for electric vehicle charging. Arup has worked on the energy strategy, but the project details do not specify the generation capacity, storage rating or number of chargers. These values will be needed to assess peak electrical demand, the share of demand that could be met by solar generation and whether batteries will support charging loads or other site services. The equipment will have to be integrated with the distribution and safety systems of a busy multi-storey facility.
Photovoltaics, battery storage and electric vehicle charging introduce electrical design interfaces alongside the parking structure. Charging equipment requires distribution capacity, protective devices and pedestrian-safe placement, while solar and battery installations need connections, isolation and maintenance access. The announcement does not identify the number or rating of charging points, the photovoltaic capacity or the battery specification; without those figures, neither the potential on-site generation nor its contribution to charging demand can be quantified.
External works will include hard and soft landscaping, with the car park intended to act as a gateway to the wider regeneration area. Routes between the structure, surrounding destinations and public space will influence how visitors approach the development once it opens. The architect’s images illustrate the intended appearance, but the project’s engineering and construction programme will govern when that access becomes available for use.
The contract is also a significant local commission for Goldbeck, which has established a UK presence across Birmingham, Cardiff, London and Manchester. The company expanded its manufacturing arrangements in 2025 through a partnership involving a concrete slab production facility in Nottinghamshire. That background explains its manufacturing-led approach, although no specific statement has yet identified which Atlantic Wharf components will be produced at that site.
Completion is targeted for 2027. Goldbeck’s appointment will be followed by detailed design, coordinated structural and services packages, manufacture and installation, with access and energy infrastructure brought into the finished development. The car park will provide a defined transport component within Atlantic Wharf, while the detailed construction timetable and technical capacities remain to be established. The completed parking decks must also connect safely to the two external ramps and the surrounding pedestrian routes, while structural and electrical installations will have to be sequenced around access to the site. No detailed opening timetable has been announced beyond the target year.
