Animal wall des-res for wildlife

Birds and bats can nest inside the wall

A housing development in Cardiff Bay hasn't just thought of human residents with its latest project.

It's commissioned a specially designed 'animal wall' containing integrated bird and bat nesting boxes in Century Wharf.

The ecological artwork has been designed by German-born, London-based artist Gitta Gschwendtner.

The wall can be accessed via the riverside walk leading from Clarence Road towards the centre of Cardiff.

Approximately 1,000 new apartments and houses have been built as part of the development.

In an effort to limit the impact on local wildlife birds and bats will be encouraged to settle in the area by using 1,000 nesting boxes incorporated into the specially designed wall.

The animal wall is part of a 50 metre long wall which runs from the western edge of the new 'Strata' residential development and separates the development from the public riverside walk.

The original animal wall around Bute Park was designed by William Burges

An ecologist was consulted during the design process and four different sized animal homes have been developed which have been integrated into custom made woodcrete cladding providing an architecturally interesting and practical wall.

Artist Gitta Gschwendtner said she enjoyed working on the project.

"Following the decline of the natural habitat in Cardiff Bay over recent years, I was very interested in exploring ways to introduce nesting places in my artwork for Century Wharf," she said.

"I have loved the opportunity to match the number of flats created in the housing development with the number of bird and bat boxes in my design for the Animal Wall."

The design provides a modern echo of Cardiff's famous Animal Wall designed by William Burges which sits outside Bute Park.

Burges' wall was built in 1890 after his death and originally was located outside Cardiff Castle.

It was moved down the street to Bute Park in 1925 due to road widening work in front of the castle.

See more photos of the new animal wall