In April 2020 Addo were engaged by Pontypridd YMCA to commission a bespoke vinyl application to the parapet level glazing of the refurbished YMCA building in Pontypridd.  Artist partnership Heinrich & Palmer have subsequently been appointed to work in collaboration with the wider project team – Pontypridd YMCA, Artis Community, Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council’s Arts Development Team, Capita, Enkom and Knox & Wells – to develop a design that will complement and enhance the architecture and vernacular of the building.

The public art project is seen as a means to further engage local community members in the refurbishment of the building and so Heinrich & Palmer have been working with local groups to garner ideas to feed into their design.

Participating groups have included Crafty Cuppas (a craft activity group for over 50’s), RCT Creative Writers Group and Our Place Parent & Toddler Group.  Artis Community facilitated and supported this process of engagement, which has been vital in giving the artists a sense of Pontypridd as a place and the importance of the YMCA to the town, especially as Covid-19 lockdown measures have meant that the artists are unable to visit the site or build relationships with stakeholders on the ground.  Conversations and exchanges have been taking place via social media, over the telephone and through the post and have helped to both inform the development of the artists’ design and make visible their design process for local residents.

The artists’ design will be printed on to vinyl and applied to over 261 glazing panels surrounding the top of the building, each measuring approx. 2.4m wide x 4.0m high, covering approx. 77m length in total.

The artwork will be installed in time for the opening of the refurbished Pontypridd YMCA building.

The public artwork is managed by Addo in collaboration with and on behalf of Pontypridd YMCA, Artis Community, Enkom, Capita and Knox & Wells and will be fabricated and installed by Applied Products.

The Pontypridd YMCA Redevelopment is a collaborative project between Pontypridd YMCA, Artis Community, Arts Council of Wales and Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council.