News / Arts
Student accommodation for former Brunel hotel
A historic former hotel designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel could be turned into student accommodation.
The St George’s Road building is Grade II listed. Behind the neo-classical façade are offices which have played home to the city council since the 1980s.
With the council vacating the offices in the summer, Bristol-based Unite has come up with a scheme to transform the building into accommodation for 436 students.
St George’s Road already features Winkworth House, University of Bristol accommodation for 127 students. Other Unite properties in the nearby area include Chantry Court, Culver House, Orchard Heights and Unite House.
Unite argues that reletting the council’s offices would be difficult, proposing the economic and community benefit of the new students upon the surrounding area.
Bristol Civic Society support most of the scheme but are “disappointed” at plans to develop a building within the current car park of the building. The proposal outlines building on what is now a car park known as the Horse Bazaar – where horses were once traded.
The ‘Horse Bazaar’ features an amphitheatre – “a long narrow space framed by ruined walls with an apsidal end relieved by the frames of tall arched windows”.
The Civic Society ask that “the associated Horse Bazaar structure and walls will remain untouched to ensure the historical setting of the site is preserved”, proposing instead that the courtyard serve a recreational purpose for students.
Read more: Bristol students have best city life
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
