The owner of a popular Turkish restaurant in Cardiff is planning to transform former public toilets in a park into a café. Hakan Sir, the owner of Lezzet Turkish Kitchen on St Mary Street, said he hopes to turn the Grade-II listed building into a community-centric eatery that hosts cooking lessons, student art displays, student music performances and charity events.
Located in Cathays Park on Museum Avenue, the historic block, which was built in the 1930s, sits between the National Museum of Wales and the main building of Cardiff University. It was originally designed by the city architect's department and the original layout remains in place.
It has been disused for more than 30 years and has fallen into disrepair due to vandalism and a lack of maintenance. According to Cadw's heritage impact assessment of the site, the building has suffered damage from fire and being broken into, and its remaining original features are beyond repair due to fire damage and damp.
