Hafod Morfa Copperworks Distillery and Visitor Centre

by GWP Architecture and Archer Humphryes

Client Swansea Council

Awards RSAW Welsh Architecture Award 2025 and RSAW Welsh Architecture Conservation Award 2025 (sponsored by Velux)

The award winner tells us, "Following closure in 1980, Swansea’s 12-acre historic Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site fell into dereliction. The Penderyn Distillery and Visitor Centre was the project with which Swansea Council looked to kick-start the site’s regeneration. It involved the restoration of the derelict Grade II listed Victorian powerhouse and its fit-out as a whisky distillery with four copper stills, and the reuse of the Grade II listed rolling mill for a barrel store, with a new-build visitor centre and link structure set within the historic revetment walls connecting the two; incorporating the presentation of archaeology and interpretation of Swansea’s leading role in the copper industry.

The jury says, "Located near the River Tawe in Swansea, Haford-Morfa Copperworks Distillery and Visitor Centre is the first phase of an ambitious local authority regeneration project. Delightfully integrated with the Victorian structure, it is a mesmerising display of distillation process engineering, exquisitely made.

The project incorporates various cultural elements, including historical preservation, inclusivity and landscape design. Later phases of the landscape will work to create a cohesive site-wide visitor experience. The approach to the project emphasises sustainability and economic viability. It aims to catalyse the regeneration of the wider former copper works site and buildings, providing visitors with access and insight into Swansea’s industrial past."

Read the full citation from the RIBA Awards Jury on RIBA Journal

Contractor John Weavers Contractors Ltd

Fit out architect Archer Humphryes

Fit out conservation architect Hiraeth Architecture

Quantity surveyor / Cost consultant TC Consult

Structural engineer Hydrock, Now Stantec

Structural engineer Mann Williams

Environmental / M&E engineer Holloways Partnership

Environmental / M&E engineer Hydrock, now Stantec

Archaeologist Black Mountain Archaeology

Planner: Fit out GJP Planning

Gross internal area 1,857m²