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Bristol’s oldest multi-storey: ‘more than a car park’
The first car park of its kind to be built in the UK opened in Bristol in 1960.
The Lex “multidek” on Rupert Street was described at the time as “more than a car park”, with 550 cars able to be parked on the upper floors, and a car showroom, workshop and a petrol station on the forecourt.
Commentary from a British Pathé video from the year after the car park opened praises “the unbroken curved roadway” and says that “the idea is that the car goes up the gradient and the driver down again by lift”.
is needed now More than ever
“It’s almost worth coming to the top just for the view,” adds the voice-over.
Step back to Bristol in 1961:
A “celebration luncheon” took place at the Grand Hotel on Broad Street on November 9 1960 to mark the opening of the new car park.
The programme reads: “The Lex Garage at Bristol is the first of its kind ever to be built in this country. It provides parking accommodation for 550 cars in a parking area of approximately 1.5 acres.
“Cars are parked by customers themselves on either side of a continuous ramp which spirals gently from the entrance to the top of the building, which is six decks high.
“The 24ft wide centre section of the ramp is the roadway between bays of 16ft long and 8ft wide, affording ample room for each car. Having parked and locked his car, the owner proceeds by lift to street level.”
A celebratory luncheon took place to mark the opening of the car park – image: Know Your Place
But the days of Bristol’s oldest multi-storey car park could be numbered.
Hundreds of flats and student accommodation could be built here as part of a recently announced scheme, with plans for some 250 “co-living rooms” and 320 student rooms, as well as a new car park.
A 21-storey tower block.is included in the initial plans which if built could be the second tallest tower in Bristol, second only to Castle Park View.
Rupert Street car park as seen from Rupert Street
From the top floor looking down
There used to be a petrol station and car showroom on the ground floor
The views from the top floor are not expansive as they once were
550 cars could park in the Lex “multidek” when it opened in 1960
Lifts were a big selling point when the car park opened but it also has two sets of stairs
The way out to street level
The way in from street level
Bristol’s oldest multi-storey car park as seen from Lewins Mead
All photos: Martin Booth; with thanks to Know Your Place Bristol for the historical information
Read next:
- Tower block could replace Bristol’s first ever multi-storey car park
- The hidden river flowing underneath Bristol city centre
- Amazing parkour skills takes athlete down side of multi-storey car park
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