World-class music and performance venue St George’s Bristol has received the go-ahead to build its stunning new extension.
Bristol City Council planners approved plans this week drawn up by award-winning London-based architecture practice Patel Taylor.
The £5.5m project will create a glass pavilion, making St George’s Bristol fit for the 21st century.
Named ‘Building a Sound Future’, the initiative will also help ensure the performance venue has a sustainable and long-term financial future.
St George’s Bristol, just off Park Street, is famous for its world-class acoustics, and attracts some of the best classical, world, jazz, and folk musicians.
Famous names who have played St George’s include composer Philip Glass, saxophonist Courtney Pine, singer-songwriter Cerys Matthews, as well as Bristol-based schools and ensembles.
The venue hosts comedy events and talks, from Slapstick Festival to the Bristol Festival of Ideas, and has an education and family programme.
This bold new extension, to be built alongside the former church, would:
- Create new and inviting entrances
- Access for people with disabilities
- New workshop, education and gallery spaces for exhibitions
- An attractive new café and bar
- Improved back stage facilities for artists and staff
- Restoration and opening up of the 19th century gardens
Proposals also include an increase in educational activities, as well as retelling the building’s story – as one of the ‘Waterloo Churches’, its role as an air raid shelter, and those who have performed over the past four decades.
Enhanced spaces are also expected to attract more revenue from venue hire and weddings.
St George’s Bristol chief executive Suzanne Rolt said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Bristol City Council has granted planning permission, confirming its almost unanimous support for our Building a Sound Future project.
“We can now push forward with our ambitious plans to extend the building and transform the experience for all visitors to St George’s.
“This news will give confidence to the funding bodies who have already pledged their support as well as help attract further supporters to come forward to secure the remaining £1.8m needed to realise our vision.
“This is an important milestone in a meticulously planned project that is now just two years away from completion – in October 2017 we will unveil a new-look St George’s that will secure the hall’s future and provide a thrilling addition to Bristol’s cultural landscape.”
Andrew Taylor, of architects Patel Taylor, said: “Working on projects such as St George’s lifts the soul and reminds us once again of why we practise architecture. We’re extremely pleased it has received planning permission and we look forward to working with St George’s Bristol to bring this vision into reality.”
The registered charity has raised £3.65m for the project to date, including major funding pledges from Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and is now looking to raise a further £1.86m from major donors, charitable trusts, and corporates.
St George’s Bristol is working with Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram, who has designed an exquisite sculpture to hang in the main foyer of the extension.
Fundraisers are approaching major donors and organisations to sponsor a glass section of the sculpture, or ‘roundel’, which will help raise funds for the Building a Sound Future project.
Pictured: An computer-generated image of the extension
