By Sofia Webster and Megan Foulk, Deputy Editor and Co-Deputy Music Editor
A new milestone has been reached today as the structure of the University of Bristol’s new enterprise campus is completed, signifying the project is a third through its completion.
The new building, which is on time and scheduled to be completed in September 2026, will solidify the University of Bristol’s reputation as a global destination for world leading research and innovation.
The new site, which was previously the location of a former Royal Mail sorting office, will become the home for the University’s Business School, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, a range of engineering programmes and digital research groups as well as Bristol Innovations, the University’s catalyst for innovation.
Plans for this building are underway in hope of regenerating the neighbourhood around Temple Meads, and is a project considered radically different from anything previously done at the university.
Visiting the building site made it possible to visualise prospective students studying and thriving, bringing the building plans to life. This was greatly helped by the use of VR which demonstrated the interior plans for the building's interior design.
This new campus will offer a large food court (by Source) as well as laptop lounges, lecture theatres, silent and collaborative study spaces along with calm spaces for reflection. These features will all draw inspiration from Senate House and the Sky Lounge in the Life Sciences Building, amongst other areas throughout the university.
Alongside this, a new planting scheme advised by Bristol Botanical Gardens and floating harbour installations along the Totterdown basin ensure carefully nurtured green spaces are included as part of the site.
An important aspect of this campus is how it intertwines local communities and businesses, with parts of the campus being shaped in consultation with community partners to create spaces for businesses and students to work together and generate new ideas.
This campus aims to improve connectivity in the area and become a world-class gateway to Bristol and the West of England, with a directly connected, refurbished entrance to Bristol Temple Meads Station opening directly onto University Square.
Speaking on this milestone, Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol said this campus “is being carefully constructed to meet the needs and nurture the aspirations of our students, staff and partners across the city and the wider region.”
Situated just an 8-minute walk away from the University’s recently completed dentistry campus, this new campus looks like a fantastic project that will elevate the student experience upon being completed in September 2026.
What do you think of the new Temple Quarter enterprise campus?
Featured Image courtesy of Richard Cottle
