Over the next four months, the landmark 38,000 square metre (sqm) building next to Temple Meads Station will move into its final phase as principal contractor Sir Robert McAlpine supports the University in making finishing touches and moving furniture, equipment and people into the building.
The University bought the site from Bristol City Council in 2017 before demolishing the derelict Royal Mail Sorting Office in 2019, which had stood empty for over 20 years.
When it opens, the campus will be a new front door to the University and home for its world-class teaching and research across business, innovation, digital engineering, artificial intelligence, quantum and more.
It will open alongside a brand-new eastern entrance to the region’s largest transport hub, Bristol Temple Meads, directly connecting to the campus through a new public space called University Square. A new harbour walkway, funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, connecting University Square to Temple Quay will provide new walking and cycling routes.
Sustainability has been a guiding principle throughout the project. The building is designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and is connected to a district heating network to reduce energy demand and carbon emissions. Lower-carbon construction methods, including the use of eco-concrete, have also been adopted.
The project has delivered significant local benefits during construction with over 50% of the workforce locally employed and using local suppliers. This includes 500sqm of rooflights from Gloucestershire, metalwork from Bristol, the yellow stairs from Taunton, and architecture and engineering practices from Bath.
The construction works have enabled 3,940 waged training weeks, 68 work experience placements on-site, supported over 3,500 weeks of in-work training for more than 100 apprentices and 80 local jobs for entrants to construction, together with local school visits and setting up a 'Design, Engineer, Construct' learning programme launched with IKB Academy in Keynsham.
Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and lead for the Temple Quarter programme, at the University of Bristol, said: “Today marks a major milestone in our drive to create a vibrant new connected campus in the heart of the city. Thanks to the fantastic work of Sir Robert McAlpine and our University colleagues we remain on budget and on schedule for our September opening. It's inspiring to see our new building come to life and I'm hugely grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this point. I look forward to welcoming students, innovation and community partners and staff to join us in our new campus in September.”
Craig Allen, Sector Managing Director, Industrial, Sir Robert McAlpine, said: “Reaching this milestone is a significant achievement for everyone involved in the delivery of Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus. The project demonstrates the very best of engineering excellence, delivered in a complex, constrained city‑centre environment through close collaboration with the University of Bristol and our project partners.
“Beyond the building itself, this project will leave a lasting legacy for Bristol. From lower‑carbon construction methods and sustainable design to the investment in skills, apprenticeships and local employment, the campus has generated meaningful social value throughout delivery. We’re proud to have played our part in creating a landmark development that will support education, innovation and inclusive growth for generations to come.”
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “Hundreds of local people have been working to deliver the University of Bristol’s new £500 million Enterprise Campus next door to the West Country’s biggest train station. Thanks to their hard work, today’s completion is a big step towards unlocking the wider potential of Bristol Temple Quarter and thousands more new jobs and new homes for our region.
“The old Royal Mail building that stood on this site was once called the chipped tooth in the city’s smile. In this new chapter, I’m happy to say that derelict site is now a distant memory – as we look forward to opening Bristol Temple Meads’ new eastern entrance, walkways along the harbour, and the new campus in September.”