A semi-circular civic residential and covered market building opposite St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol.

180° ARC

Setting A New Scene: At the crossroads, the prominence of the site requires a strong and yet sensitive ‘Set Piece’, a public ‘Staged Space’ echoing that of Queen Square, which can become an ambassador for the re-invigoration of Redcliffe.

Site Scaled: How can a residential block have the gravitas and formal ‘civic quality’ so that it works in partnership with St Mary Redcliffe? How can a new building support the significance of the church to become a complimentary ‘gate-post’ that, together & along with Bristol Temple Meads, signal a rejuvenated Redcliffe Way?

Modern-Historical: The building is a hybrid, one that looks to bring forth the past, whilst looking forward with a progressive sensibility. It references the site’s local history and those exemplars across European historic city centres where church, and public-square meet to form the ‘urban theatre’. Arch, Colonnade, Backstreet, Narrow Alley, Open Square, the sequencing of spaces from intimate to grander scales.  

What To Avoid:  

a.building as fortress

b.standard commercial retail

c.steel /concrete /corporate looking cladding

Simplicity Of Form: The building clarifies the red site-line, with a bold statement in the form of a semi-circular volume. The straight edge serves to define Portwall as an active back street, with characteristics of the medieval quarter and warehouse docks. The sweeping panoramic curve addresses the full-length of Redcliffe Way, church and the surrounding reworked landscape within the yellow line area.

Route/Cut: Promoting the route into the city from Bristol temple meads, the building is sliced in two. The resulting 6m ‘alley’ brings new focus to the Brunel Way, encouraging movement from Portwall, through the proposed building, toward the front of St Mary Redcliffe and onto the SS Great Britain.

Materials And Meaning: The building is conceived as a simple masonry arched base with a timber and glazed residential structure above. Natural materials conveying a quiet solidity, humility and subtlety of detail softens the strength of the overall form.

Typology(s): Gate house, indoor market, medieval fair, local makers, food stalls, kiosks, small-scale independent shops, craftsmen, guilds, organisations + cloisters of housing.

Piazza/Permeability: The ground floor base of the building is its heart and soul, and sets the tone for the residential floors above. A double height ‘market hall’, with small-scale permanent units & temporary installations, is seen as a continuation of the landscaped square outside. Glazing and pivoted door shutters present an open, welcoming, inclusive covered space that serves the entire community.

Common space: A public platform with elevated views toward St Mary Redcliffe mediates between the private residential courtyards and market square level.

Housing: Above the masonry plinth, double-aspect apartments facing the church are accessed via a wide landscaped balcony/deck spaces. Organised around 2 landscaped inner courtyards, bedrooms peek into more secluded spaces with inset balconies look onto Portwall.

Viability And Volume: The massing proposed is governed by the 110 unit viability aims. The development works at 5-storeys, however, without considering overlooking and overshadowing. Lowering the Portwall facing volume requires additional height concentrated at the piazza facing side of the building.