Cardiff: How St David’s 2 shopping centre helped transform city

“Obviously, we’re surrounded by beautiful old arcades, so if you look at the Grand Arcade in St David’s, that’s really modelled on the arcades that are already around us. We were just taking our inspiration from them.”

However, to make way for the nearly 1m sq ft (92,300 sq m) extension, some of the old city had to go.

“I think sometimes you forget what was here before, and it’s kind of nice to be reminded,” said Morgan.

That includes the original city centre Toys ‘R’ Us, the Wales National Ice Rink, the Oxford Arcade, and a very dated Cardiff Library.

“It’s been 15 years but it really feels like it’s flown by. I think for some people, it’s like, was that really there before?”

If your memory needs jogging, here’s what Cardiff city centre used to look like before St David’s 2: