Buildings and architecture of Bristol
Bristol, the largest city in South West England, has an eclectic combination of architectural styles, ranging from the medieval to 20th century brutalism and beyond. During the mid-19th century, Bristol Byzantine, an architectural style unique to the city, was developed, and several examples have survived.
Buildings from most of the
The construction of the city's
The 20th century saw further expansion of the city, the growth of the
Medieval (11th – 14th century)
Defensive
The city was defended in medieval times by
The city had extensive walls built by Geoffrey de Montbray, Bishop of Coutances. These have now largely disappeared, although parts remain on properties in King Street. A gateway in the old wall can now be seen under the tower of the Church of St John the Baptist.[9]
Religious
The earliest surviving church in Bristol is
Westbury College was a 13th-century College of Priests located in
Tudor (15th – early 17th century)
The
During the
Stuart (1666–1713)
The
Georgian (18th to 19th century)
In 1732, John Strachan built Redland Court for
The 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually operating theatre in England, joined with the Coopers' Hall, from 1744 and designed by architect William Halfpenny, to form the Bristol Old Vic.[45][46][47]
During the period of
In addition to evidence of the wealth brought by the slave trade there are several significant links to the
Several residential squares with terraces of three-storey houses were laid out around central gardens. An example is
Religious needs in the expanding city were met for several denominations with
Regency (early 19th century)
The term
The Clifton and
Victorian (late 19th century)
The Victorian era saw further expansion of the city, both in its industrial heartland around the docks and in the suburbs, particularly in Clifton.
Palatial squares were developed for the prosperous middle classes.
Between 1849 and 1870, five large stone buildings were erected by
Industrial
A notable feature of Bristol's architecture is the
The local Pennant sandstone is frequently used as walling material, often with limestone dressings, as found on the old Temple Meads railway station[79] and Clifton Down railway station.[80] Pennant sandstone is also used as large rock-faced squared blocks, described as Pennant rubble, which are used alone, eked out with plain brickwork, or incorporated into the more rugged examples of Bristol Byzantine. Much of the local transport infrastructure including the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the original Temple Meads railway station—now used as the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum—were designed or built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.[81]
In 1864, after over 100 years of planning, the Clifton Suspension Bridge[82] over the Avon Gorge linked the city to the Ashton Court estate. However, development to the west of the River Avon remained limited.
20th century
In the early part of the 20th century further expansion took place in residential districts increasingly distant from the city centre. Bristol Hippodrome was designed by Frank Matcham, and opened on 16 December 1912.[83]
The
The 1930s saw the construction of the
Like much of British post-war development, the regeneration of
In 1958, Barton House,Bristol's first tower block was built.[98]
In the 1990s, a harbourside concert hall designed by architects
21st century
The Broadmead shopping centre was redeveloped in the early years of the century, involving the demolition of one of the city's tallest mid-century towers, Tollgate House, in the construction of Cabot Circus.[101] The former Bristol and West Tower was reworked into a glass skyscraper with glass panels in place of its concrete outer cladding. In 2005, the city council undertook extensive consultations about the future of tall buildings in Bristol, and identified support for new tall buildings so long as they are well designed, sustainable, distinctive and 'fit' into the existing urban landscape.[102]
In May 2007, proposals were announced to build approximately 753,000 square feet (70,000 m2) net of homes, offices, and business premises in the
Planning for the large
Tallest buildings
A roster of the tallest buildings constructed in Bristol includes:[107]
Rank | Building | Area | Height | Floors | Built | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
m | ft | |||||
1 | St Mary Redcliffe | Redcliffe | 89 | 292 | Completed 15th century | |
2 | Castlemead | Lower Castle Street | 80 | 262 | 19 | 1973-1981 |
3 | Wills Memorial Building | UoB, Clifton | 66 | 217 | 1925 | |
4 | Christ Church | Clifton | 65 | 213 | 1885 | |
5 | Eclipse | Harvey Nichols | 65 | 213 | 14 | 2008 |
6 | Avon House | Haymarket | 64 | 210 | 18 | 1972 |
7 | Beacon Tower | Colston Avenue | 63 | 207 | 18 | 1973 |
8 | Froomsgate House |
Rupert Street | 63 | 207 | 15 | 1971 |
9 | Former Bristol and West Building | Marsh Street | 61 | 200 | 17 | 1967 |
10 | One Redcliff Street | Bristol Bridge | 60 | 197 | 15 | 1964 |
11 | Greyfriars | Lewin's Mead | 59 | 194 | 14 | 1974 |
See also
- Churches in Bristol
- Grade I listed buildings in Bristol
- Grade II* listed buildings in Bristol
- Grade II listed buildings in Bristol
- History of Bristol
References
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Further reading
- Buchanon, R.A.; Neil Cossons (1969). Industrial Archaeology of the Bristol Region. David & Charles PLC. ISBN 0-7153-4394-7.
- Ison, Walter (1978). The Georgian Buildings of Bristol. AvonAnglia. ISBN 0-901571-88-1.
- Leech, Roger (2000). "The Topography of Medieval Bristol". Bristol Record Society. 51: 396–422.
- Priest, Gordon (2003). The Paty Family: Makers of Eighteenth-century Bristol. Redcliffe Press Ltd. ISBN 1-900178-54-0.
51°27′N 2°35′W / 51.450°N 2.583°W