By Benji Chapman, Music Editor
Located in a thriving hub of development for Bristol, The Prospect Building is situated on Feeder Road in St. Philips. Only a fifteen-minute walk from Temple Meads station, the new space is part of a spread of new development in the Temple Quarter, following the continued construction of the University of Bristol's enterprise campus within the same area.
With the venue's team containing individuals behind festivals and nightclubs such as Junction 2, Love Supreme, and Printworks, it was hardly a surprise to see first-hand that The Prospect Building has something interesting to offer Bristol. AMAAD, the promoters behind the magic, have been working tirelessly to integrate the space into the local cultural landscape.
Rather than constructing exclusively a late-night venue, the team have responded to concerns surrounding the future of nightclubs by offering a musical and cultural experience that doesn't rely on ticket sales for club events only. Events will vary in nature: from more conventional DJ sets and live shows, to vintage clothes sales, circus performances, and food festivals.
Speaking to Epigram, co-founder Will Harold discussed how 'Bristol has been lacking a building at this capacity range', with the 3,500 capacity venue seeking to attract bigger names than ever before to the city. He emphasised that by working with local creatives, however, the project would also be a locally co-operative endeavour.
Respective co-founder Paul Jack conmented in unison that, 'We’re thrilled to open The Prospect Building and bring this incredible space to life. Our mission is to create a venue that supports both the local community and international talent, while shaping Bristol’s future cultural landscape.'
Coming in at 25,000 square feet, the monstrous venue boasts two distinct performance spaces as well as an outside area; but alongside its awareness of both local and international artists, the building is not intended to be overwhelming despite its scale. With an intimate 'Room Two' space, a smaller area allows members of the audience to bask in the six-point surround sound system away from the larger 'Room One'.
The main room of the building features an impressive centre-stage, framed by a network of integrated screens and lasers that can be programmed to produce hypnotically synchronised visuals. Adjacent to the stage are viewing platforms that can be accessed for an elevated view of the crowd itself.
The Prospect team also expressed their keenness to appeal to and address changing attitudes concerning sobriety among young people and students. By offering a space that intersects several aspects of local culture, at various times of day, the venue promises to celebrate events that are accessible to students of all cultural interests, musical tastes, and approaches to sobriety.
Joy Orbison, Bonobo, Andy C, and Hedex are among the acts fronting the venue's opening lineup - which is to say that the calibre of electronic artists on offer is noteworthy to say the least - as Bristol continues to grow as a hub for the electronic genre following Nia Archive's opening of The Underground during the 2023/2024 academic year.
Featured Image: Sarah GinnWhat are you most excited to see at The Prospect Buidling?
