This week sees the launch of the new 150 square metre retail and visitor centre at Conwy Castle, which has been designed and installed by retail design and branding agency M Worldwide in conjunction with shopfitting contractor Datum Contracts International.

Last autumn both companies were appointed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s Historic Environment Service) and their brief was to develop a flexible new approach to retail and visitor centre site design for Cadw’s many and varied historic visitor attractions.

Cadw chose Conwy Castle as the trial site to test the new design concepts, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Photo: interior of the refurbished Conwy Castle

M Worldwide developed new and detailed design concepts and principles that will be applied to Cadw’s properties across Wales, with Datum responsible for fitting-out and implementing the new designs. The aim is to create shops and visitor centres that reflect the uniqueness of each of the historic properties, contribute to the visitor experience, increase sales and encourage return visits. The new concepts encompass communications, interpretation panels, visitor environment elements, lighting, and a palette of colours and materials that reflect and portray Cadw’s ethos, as well incorporating the rich and diverse history of Wales.

Jayne Rowlands, Head of Visitor & Business Services at Cadw, said: “We manage and maintain a hugely diverse range of building types, none of which were originally designed with retail spaces. M Worlwide and Datum Contracts have created an incredibly flexible and cost-effective approach that can be adapted to different spaces, different periods and different styles of architecture.”

In addition to the new design, Cadw is reviewing products to be sold in the shop such as jewellery, food and drink, with a strong emphasis on Welsh provenance.