The Atrium

The Atrium is a state of the art building that is part of the University of Glamorgan. It is the main Cardiff building of the University since it expanded from its main campus in Trefforest (near Pontypridd). It is home of the Cultural and Creative Arts department that includes Journalism, TV and Radio-​based degrees. It’s got a Radio Studio where the University radio station broadcasts from, and lots of filming and TV facilities available on site.
The University of Glamorgan has been gaining in popularity as a University for students to attend over recent years, and this expansion has been part of that rise in popularity. Directly opposite are some halls that the University offers for its students, which promises an easy enough commute.
This part of the campus is opening a new students union this year to allow students that live near this campus to attend events a little closer to home.

Finally my time at the Atrium is over… hang on a minute did I say Atrium… I meant Glamorgan University, the Atrium is just a building!
These reviews are further evidence that THE ATRIUM has a life of it’s own, having left its poorer older cousin back in the Rhondda Valleys.
Glamorgan took a big gamble buying this place and it seems to have paid off, beautiful young things saunter about with portfolios under their arms, grungy budding musicians that never made it into the Welsh college huddle fag in one hand, guitar in the other …And me, part time Masters student, a guinea pig in Interactive Journalism…
Well…I made it,
I enjoyed it,
I’d recommend it.
GOOD STUFF: Teaching was mostly very good, facilities were superb for us (animation students may disagree) room after room of mac suites stuffed with every bit of software you might need, green screen room, Z1 cameras, lighting gear, even got to use the practice rooms for my band even though I’m not a music student.
BAD STUFF: Kid these days talk in the library– shhhh I’m trying to think!!, Glamorgan didn’t seem to subscribe to all the journals I wanted, the café didn’t recycle its cups.
I could go on But I’ve just finished my 20,000 word thesis and your eyes are probably hurting!
Check it out — THE ATRIUM it’s pretty and they may even teach you something too!
Disclaimer: Teaching and courses will vary hugely

As a local musician, I’m always on the lookout for new places to play or record, and for fresh people to get in contact with to see what comes out of a new collaboration and when The Atrium opened its doors properly, I danced a small jig.
Being the Glamorgan teaching centre for anything media related, there is an entire section dedicated to sound recording with four floors of recording studios kitted out with a huge amount of brand new, high-​powered equipment. Having recorded in there numerous times for a variety of different projects, I know that the quality of the end recording relies mostly on the skill of the students and the quality has, except for one glaring exception, been fantastic.
Aside from this, the building is a beautiful addition to a city skyline that is rapidly becoming far more interesting than it previously was. With the wonderful, idiosyncratic camera-​shaped conservatory building greeting traffic heading from the Bay, it makes a nice introduction to the city centre.

Want an education, in media did you say? Yea, don’t come here.
As a graduate that studied in both the Ponty and Cardiff area of Glamorgans uni’s I can safely say I wished it stayed at Pontypridd.
You can’t help but be made to feel that this building was built for business reasons and not for the students welfare. There was a lot of back slapping when the Atrium was first opened and a lot of hiding disgruntled students out of the press’s way. The building was just over half built when it opened and was a building site. Nothing was ready and equipment was sparse, my heart bled for people studying in their third year.
Talking of equipment, there is a scarce amount for 1000’s of media students all needing the 20 or so cameras available, add a shambolic ordering system that doesn’t work that will charge an extortionate amount to students if they are but mere minutes late and you’ve got yourself a lot of unhappy people trapped within this educational house.
The café is overly expensive and is far more of an upmarket café that does not adhere to the tight budgets student are on. However the staff are always lovely here.
More than can be said for the reception. I can’t remember the guys name as I would shame him here right now, but he is the most unhelpful, obnoxious man that has ever been hired. I’ve seen him be so rude to kids who are just trying to hand there work in I’m surprised he still works there, shameful.
And that incompetence seems to run throughout the staff employed here. I had a lot of problems within the second year and was treated disgustingly. What was worse is that I could not go to anyone to help me as there was no governing body to go to outside of the uni, it all felt that they did what was best for them, not you.
There are however some great teachers here and learnt a lot out of those few. However I can’t help but feel it was alot down to my determination that I got the results I wanted out of here, not them in the slightest. Oh and there is going to be no union as of next year, not the uni experience you would hope for then.
Seriously, if you are looking to visit here please speak to students who reside here already before you make your decision. I am a disgruntled ex student yes, but I can honestly say there are a majority of students there that feel the same but do not have a way to express them. Seek elsewhere for further education.