Chapel of St Michael’s College (St Padarn’s Institute)

Simple asymmetrical rectangular form, with subtly canted walls to (liturgical) east and west). Local stone rubble, slate roof, which is little visible from the ground. The side walls are punched through with many small and very small rectangular windows apparently arranged randomly but in a deliberate pattern and with only lightly expressed reinforced concrete frames acting as structural elements. Plain recessed entrance offset in (liturgical) west end under an asymmetrical gable in a canted wall, with metal figure of St. Michael overcoming the devil by Frank Roper over. The whole has a simple almost vernacular character, more reminiscent of a barn than an ecclesiastical building.

Simple interior, with white plastered walls and ceiling. Sharp angles are avoided by a coved transition between walls and ceiling, and by subtly angled corners. The light all comes from the grid of small windows on the right. Plain white wall behind altar, blank except for small crucifix by Mervn Merchant, with sculptured Christ in Majesty by Harry Stammers suspended above altar. Altar itself designed by G F Bodley, retained from earlier chapel. The black pews and elongated staff stalls against curving screen at the (liturgical) west end and other fittings are all by Pace, apart from some seats which survived the bombing of the earlier chapel. The chapel is described in the Buildings of Wales: '...the interior is truly moving...The architect has created a numinous space...without introducing a single evocation of the traditional forms of church architecture'.