Standing some 800 m southwest of Swansea city centre, by the seafront and overlooking Swansea Bay, the complex houses – in addition to the council chamber and offices – a public cafe, the central library, an exhibition space, archives service, and contact centre.

[1] Finding that this arrangement, which involved sharing facilities with Swansea Council, to be inadequate, county leaders procured a dedicated building, selecting a site formerly occupied by an old railway goods yard associated with the Mumbles Railway.

[2] The new building was designed by C. W. Quick of the West Glamorgan County Architects Department in the Brutalist style,[3][4] built by French Kier (phase 1) and A. Monk (phase 2)[5] and opened as County Hall in July 1982.

[6] The design featured continuous bands of glazing with deep washed calcined flint panels above and below.

[10] In January 2016, Swansea Council announced plans to redevelop the area, the second phase of which would involve demolition of Swansea Civic Centre and the creation of city beach which would also include an aquarium and digital science centre.