A lesser-known lane in the city centre has had a mini facelift, as part of a multi-million pound regeneration programme for the wider area.
A bright and colourful new mural now adorns the walls along Tudor Lane, a small road running parallel to Tudor Street in Riverside that is home to a whole array of workshops and small businesses.
While work is underway to transform Tudor Street into an attractive and vibrant shopping area via major investment in commercial and environmental improvements, Tudor Lane is benefitting from some environmental improvements of its own, starting with the new artwork on the side of the former Cardiff Bus Transport Club.
The mural was designed and painted by local artist Lowri Davies, whose inspiration came from the businesses within the lane. The colour palette is bright and echoes some of the colours used to improve buildings on Tudor Street.
Lowri said: “I’ve worked on Tudor Lane since 2003 and I have seen some gradual changes over the years but the recent discussions and developments have been very positive and will hopefully improve the experience of working in the lane in the future.
“I normally make domestic-sized tableware so the idea of designing and painting such a large surface area was quite intimidating. The design showcases what happens and what is made behind closed doors on Tudor Lane. There are references to ceramics, woodwork, bikes, mechanics, sculpture, painting and electronics. I’ve had incredible support from others who work on the lane and it’s been great to get to know those individuals better.”
Local artists Cecile Johnson Soliz, Molly Sinclair-Thomson, Rachel Humphreys and Gweni Llwyd also painted the mural with Lowri with paint supplied by Knox & Wells, principal contractor for the commercial improvement scheme on Tudor Street, as part of a community benefit initiative.
Other improvements within Tudor Lane include new signage at its entrances, bright and vibrant lighting column banners, a one-way system, artwork on the rear wall of the adjacent building, Litchfield Court, street lighting improvements and traffic calming measures.
A council spokesperson said: “The new mural and other environmental improvements have made such a difference to the appearance of Tudor Lane and we hope businesses and visitors will see the benefit of these changes. The much-welcomed improvements will be completed at the end of this month and we hope that further funding can be secured in partnership with the businesses to provide additional improvements in the future.”
