Spectrum, Bristol
| Spectrum | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Spectrum House |
| General information | |
| Type | Office building |
| Architectural style | Modern |
| Location | Bristol, England, United Kingdom |
| Address | Bond Street, Bristol, BS1 3LG |
| Coordinates | 51°27′35″N 2°35′11″W / 51.459789°N 2.586331°W |
| Construction started | 1982 |
| Completed | 1984 |
| Opened | Autumn 1984 |
| Cost | £9 million |
| Client | Prudential plc |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Floor area | 34,747 m² |
| Lifts/elevators | 5[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | BGP Group Architects |
| Structural engineer | Keith Parsons Partnership |
| Quantity surveyor | Banks Wood & Partners |
| Main contractor | Espley-Tyas Construction[2] |
| Designations | |
| Official name | Spectrum House |
| Designated | 1 September 2016 |
| Reference no. | 292[3] |
| Website | |
| spectrumbristol | |
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. The façade and massing of the building soon earned it local nicknames such as the Glass Palace, Glasshouse, and Yellow Submarine.[4][5] Though regarded as bold and innovative at the time, its design has since attracted mixed critical reception.[6]
History
[edit]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.[7] Initial redevelopment proposals emerged in the 1970s and underwent significant revisions owing to the site's inclusion in the Portland and Brunswick Square Conservation Area. Early schemes contained 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 steps down to three and four storeys along Pembroke and Gloucester Streets.[6]
Construction and launch (1982–1984)
[edit]
Work on site began in late 1982 under Midlands-based developer Espley-Tyas. Contemporary reports placed the construction cost between £8 million and £9 million, substantially higher than early estimates of £6 million, with an investment valuation of some £14 million on completion.[8][9] Marketing agents Hartnell Taylor Cook promoted Spectrum as the "most advanced mid-size office building between Bristol and West London", with anticipation of a single occupier.[4]
Although practical completion was achieved in June 1984, the official opening reception was deferred to later in the year to avoid the summer holiday season,[8] and the building initially stood empty. Commentators noted that few multinational firms sought large high-specification offices outside the capital, prompting the developer to consider subdividing the floorplates if no sole tenant emerged.[8] Meanwhile, the three-storey entrance lobby, designed to include tropical planting, was fitted out as a marketing suite.[8][5]
Glazing difficulties and remedial works
[edit].jpg)
In the weeks before the opening, contractors discovered that many of the blue-tinted double-glazed units exhibited streaking and dark shadows. Initially treated as dirt accumulated during transportation from Germany, the marks were soon suspected to be condensation trapped between the panes, raising the prospect of wholesale replacement at a cost of several hundred thousand pounds.[9][10][11] Espley-Tyas commissioned chemists at the University of Bristol to identify the cause and devise a cleaning method; their recommendations, implemented in early 1985, largely resolved the problem without full replacement.[12] Later criticisms of the glass were given by architectural scholar John Punter, who describes the façade as "tear-stained" in appearance after reacting with insulation materials.[6]
Ownership changes and letting
[edit]Financial difficulties at the parent company led to Stock Exchange suspension of Espley Trust shares in January 1985, but a restructuring deal allowed work on Spectrum to continue.[13] Shortly afterwards, Prudential Assurance acquired the freehold, and active marketing resumed. While full occupation was not achieved until the late 1980s, early lessees praised the building's raised floors, advanced HVAC, and energy-saving solar-heated water system that offset its night-time illumination.[14][5]
Tenants since the 1990s have included Morgan McKinley, Civica, Bupa Healthcare, and the RAC Legal Services Division.[15][16][17] The RAC's in-house legal service, among the first major occupants, was based in Spectrum during a widely reported 1985 litigation case.[7]
Architecture
[edit]Spectrum's curtain wall employs reflective glass mounted in aluminium frames, combining high solar gain with an internal water-duct heat-exchange system. The plan form angles to track the Bond Street frontage, while recessed upper floors and a tiered roofscape lower the perceived mass when viewed from Portland and Brunswick Squares. Internally, a glazed dome marks the foyer, formerly planted with tropical species, and connects to a mezzanine café. Two service cores now allow subdivision into multiple tenancies. Underground parking for 110 cars was a condition of planning approval, intended to minimise street parking in the conservation area.[4][6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Spectrum Bristol". www.spectrumbristol.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
- ^ Aldous, Tony (2003). C20/21: Bristol's Modern Buildings (2nd ed.). Redcliffe Press. pp. 74–75. ISBN 9781904537069.
- ^ The Bristol Local List (PDF) (Report) (5th ed.). Bristol City Council. September 2020. p. 16.
- ^ a b c Thornton, Geoffrey (28 June 1984). "High hopes for Glass Palace". Evening Post. Bristol. p. 25. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Thornton, Geoffrey (16 May 1985). "Su reflects on high life in luxury of the Glasshouse". Evening Post. Bristol. p. 4. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ a b Byrne, Eugene (22 September 2024). "Overlooked 'Wall Street' era landmark in Bristol". Bristol Live. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d Schoon, Nicholas (28 June 1984). "Reflections on an empty office". Western Daily Press. Bristol. p. 12. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Powell, Martin (10 August 1984). "Giant brush-up for glasshouse". Evening Post. Bristol. p. 17. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Foot, Julia (25 August 1984). "Pane problem at glass office". Western Daily Press. Bristol. p. 7. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "House of glass fears". Evening Post. Bristol. 25 August 1984. p. 4. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fluck, Paul (15 March 1985). "Clean-up hope at glass office". Evening Post. Bristol. p. 11. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Thomas, Alston (14 January 1985). "Trust is back in business". Evening Post. Bristol. p. 17. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Night spectacular". Evening Post. Bristol. 10 January 1985. p. 57. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "IT systems company Civica opens new Bristol office with 180 staff". South West Business. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Civica relocates to landmark Bristol building in deal brokered by JLL". Commercial News Media. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Opening Doors » Spectrum". Bristol Opening Doors. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2017.