Spectrum, Bristol
{{Short description|Office building in Bristol, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Spectrum
| alternate_names = Spectrum House
| image = Spectrum_House_-_PXL_20210918_162336303.jpg
| location = Bristol, England, United Kingdom
| address = Bond Street, Bristol, BS1 3LG
| start_date = 1982
| completion_date = 1984
| opened_date = Autumn 1984
| floor_area = 34,747 m²
| floor_count = 5
| elevator_count = 5{{Cite web|url=http://www.spectrumbristol.co.uk/#Location_Description|title=Spectrum Bristol|website=www.spectrumbristol.co.uk|access-date=15 August 2017}}
| architecture_firm = BGP Group Architects
| structural_engineer = Keith Parsons Partnership
| quantity_surveyor = Banks Wood & Partners
| main_contractor = Espley-Tyas Construction{{Cite book |last=Aldous |first=Tony |title=C20/21: Bristol's Modern Buildings |publisher=Redcliffe Press |year=2003 |isbn=9781904537069 |edition=2nd |pages=74–75 |language=en}}
| building_type = Office building
| architectural_style = Modern
| client = Prudential plc
| cost = £6 million
| website = {{URL|spectrumbristol.co.uk}}
}}
Spectrum is a five-storey modern office building in Bristol, England, designed by BGP Group Architects and completed in 1984. Located on Bond Street near Cabot Circus, the building is clad in reflective blue glass and aluminium frames in a style typical of 1980s British commercial architecture. Its stepped form was intended to reduce visual impact on adjacent listed buildings and reflect contemporary priorities in workplace design. Though regarded as bold and innovative at the time, its design has attracted mixed critical reception.
History
The Spectrum building was developed between 1982 and 1984 on a site formerly occupied by 19th-century streets and buildings, including the Bunch of Grapes public house and the Stonehouse music venue. Initial redevelopment proposals emerged in the 1970s and underwent significant revisions due to the site's inclusion in the Portland and Brunswick Square Conservation Area. Early schemes included mixed-use developments with housing and hotel elements, but these were eventually replaced by a fully commercial scheme. The final design, approved after extensive consultation, features a five-storey all-glass curtain wall structure that stepped down to three and four storeys along Pembroke and Gloucester Streets.Punter, John V. (1990). Design Control in Bristol, 1940–1990: The Impact of Planning on the Design of Office Development in the City Centre. Bristol: Redcliffe Press. pp. 225–232. ISBN 9780948265594.
The building officially opened in autumn 1984 at a construction cost of approximately £6 million. Although praised by some as a forward-looking commercial landmark, the building drew criticism for its roof-line, its presence on the Inner Circuit Road, and technical issues with the glass cladding and HVAC systems. These issues were eventually resolved with assistance from the University of Bristol.{{cite news |last=Byrne |first=Eugene |date=22 September 2024 |title=Overlooked 'Wall Street' era landmark in Bristol |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/history/overlooked-wall-street-era-landmark-9564079 |access-date=12 May 2025 |work=Bristol Live}}
Tenants have included Morgan McKinley, Civica, Bupa Healthcare, and the RAC Legal Services Division.{{Cite web |title=IT systems company Civica opens new Bristol office with 180 staff |url=http://www.southwestbusiness.co.uk/sectors/construction-and-commercial-property/15102015112233-outsourcing-and-it-systems-company-civica-opens-new-bristol-office-with-180-staff/ |access-date=16 August 2017 |website=South West Business}}{{Cite web |title=Opening Doors » Spectrum |url=http://bristolopeningdoors.org/spectrum/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023165902/http://bristolopeningdoors.org/spectrum/ |archive-date=23 October 2015 |access-date=15 August 2017 |website=bristolopeningdoors.org}} The latter was based in the building during a 1985 case that received national media coverage.
References
External links
- [https://spectrumbristol.co.uk/ Official website]
Category:Buildings and structures in Bristol
Category:Office buildings completed in 1984