Celtic Manor is 'huge monolith'

The frontman of Channel 4's Grand Designs series says he would like to demolish the five-star Celtic Manor Hotel near Newport.

Presenter Kevin McCloud says the resort, which will stage the next Ryder Cup golf tournament in 2010, was fit for the bulldozer.

He described it as a "huge monolith on an American scale".

A spokesman for the hotel said the design may not be to everybody's taste but it was influenced by functionality.

The presenter admitted he had seen "rather too much" of the building while filming for a new television series.

Mr McCloud, 48, singled out the Celtic Manor built by billionaire Sir Terry Matthews in a column for The Times newspaper.

"It's a huge monolith on an American scale which looks like it was about to swallow up the motorway. It's not contextual - it doesn't even look English," he said.

Paul Williams, a Celtic Manor manager, said: "The exterior architecture by David Preece may not be to everybody's taste but its design was influenced by functionality and the unusual demands of accommodating a 330-bedroom, five-star hotel.

"The interior design by Jane Goff, including a striking atrium lobby, has made a favourable impression on most visitors."

However Mr McCloud named Newport's 19th century transport bridge as one of his favourite structures and described it as combining "elegance and utility".

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