Chris Hunt’s photography collection, Cardiff From The Rooftops, offers a striking visual chronicle of Wales’ capital city. Hunt scales Cardiff’s modern high-rise apartments and historic structures to capture a rarely seen bird’s-eye perspective. The result is a compelling book which brilliantly tracks two decades of rapid and dramatic urban regeneration inside 96 pages.
Its strength lies in its clever framing of contrast, with Hunt seeking to capture the dual identity of the evolving cityscape, juxtaposing historic landmarks with the glossy new developments reshaping the city centre and Cardiff Bay. His photographs vividly document 20 years of transformation and the explosion of high-rise student and residential blocks, the repurposing of industrial docklands into a vibrant waterfront, and the expansion of sleek shopping districts alongside preserved Victorian arcades.
For Cardiffians of sufficient age, this collection should prove powerfully nostalgic, showing how quickly the horizon has shifted. For visitors, it serves as a stunning architectural guide to the city. Far beyond a standard history book, Hunt’s background as an exhibited artist shines through each page, offering a snapshot of Cardiff at a time of particular upheaval. Cardiff From The Rooftops is an exceptional piece of work and an essential addition for anyone fond of Welsh heritage, urban photography or contemporary architecture.
