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Page last updated at 12:21 GMT, Thursday, 19 November 2009

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In pictures: The changing face of Real Cardiff

Writer Peter Finch takes a closer look at the Welsh capital's new buildings and lost landscapes in the third volume of his series of books uncovering the Real Cardiff.

Walking to Penarth – out across the Barrage. The Swiss landscape artist Felice Varini has been allowed to paint his bright yellow 3 Ellipses for 3 Locks across the whole metal and concrete development.

Celsa steelworks - the yellow sparks, the gouts of fire, the men in helmets and face visors stalking the furnaces like armoured transformers ... man-made magmatic eruption. Steam and Strombolian shower. Screech and screaming power.

From Loudoun House - The social sprawl of the whole area is shrinking. There’s a space where the health centre once stood at the edge of Bute Street. The Angelina Street redevelopment looks like something done by the private sector.

Senedd - Compared to most rival European debating chambers the Senedd is cheap. Almost £67 million for a national landmark which will demonstrate further to a reluctant Wales the pre-eminence of Capital Cardiff.

Ocean Way, the entrance highway, spins in past Pierre Vivant's magic roundabout, a Cardiff landmark of stacked and mangled roadsigns, making art out of how drivers feel about the transport authorities and their proscriptive traffic commands.

The Roath Branch Line - We're standing at the edge of Celtic Road at Gabalfa. The van is round the corner on Kenfig. If these were shunting yards once then all sign has now turned to dust.

The Hodge Building (that was) - From the top, there are views of the Crown Courts, and the prison, the fire station, and the port. Working cranes along the blue of water. Touchable.

Cardiff Market - Ed Kelly opened his record stall here in 1969. I was here with the rest of young Cardiff unloading lps of ancient beat music hunting instead for ascendant mind expansion: Fish, Floyd, Dead, Airplane, the new place Dylan had gone.

Stadium House. Tallest building in Wales if you measure to the top of its roof antenna. Not quite as high as Capital Tower if you don't. This place was once the site of the GPO's pre-STD hand-managed telephone exchange.

The Arcades follow the lines of the ancient burgage plots. They are aboriginal creases. Our ancient lines. Lit by skylight. Saved from weather. Guarded by entrance gate. Kept free of skateboarders, street traders, the unwanted and the unwashed.