The Plans
Old College: a place for discovery and growth
The vision is to bring new life to Old College, the home of the first University College of Wales, and to transform this iconic building into a major cultural and creative centre.
As the University’s first home in 1872, Old College was a crucial bridge between the University and the town. It was a place where students, staff and the community could meet to share knowledge, welcome visitors and enjoy activities such as public lectures and musical performances, hosting choirs and other community groups.
In our plans, many of those original aims have been reimagined for the 21st Century. Scheduled to open in 2026, Old College will again become a place of cultural and social enrichment, a space for young people to learn and thrive, a venue where communities come together to overcome shared challenges and a catalyst for economic growth.
Once complete, Old College will comprise 143 rooms across seven floors, including 10 rooms with capacity ranging from 60 and up to 200 and 60 bedrooms to create Aberystwyth’s only 4-star hotel.
Old College is expected to attract around 200,000 visitors every year, almost half from outside of Wales. It will create 48 new jobs and offer over 1,300 training and volunteering opportunities.
The building has been designed to function symbiotically. The income generated by its commercial activities will sustain the spaces which will offer so much to the community, young people, students and visitors, while those attractions will drive the commercial success of Old College and raise the economic tide for Aberystwyth’s wider business community.
Our plans are supported by Welsh Government, Ceredigion County Council and our project partners of National Museum Wales and National Library of Wales.
With your help, the doors of Old College will be thrown open to expand the horizons and enrich the lives of people from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales and the world.
Main photo credit: Craig Kirkwood
