Businesses including Bristol Water, Arup and Computershare will be giving the public a rare glimpse into their offices as part of the Architecture Centre’s Bristol Doors Open Day in September.
The firms will join a wide range of buildings including theatres, museums, art galleries, hospitals and churches in throwing open their doors in the annual peek inside some of Bristol’s usually inaccessible architectural treasures. 
This year the event has been extended over two days – Saturday September 10 and Sunday September 11 – for the first time. Also taking part are Triodos Bank’s green HQ in Deanery Road and Filwood Green Business Park.
A quarter of the programme is new this year, including never before seen places such as the chance to go behind the scenes at The Bottle Yard Studios in Hengrove, where Poldark, Wolf Hall and Sherlock have been filmed, visit the Puppet Palace in Hanover Place – the UK hub for puppetry and animation – and even the Medical Simulation Centre where doctors practise on dummies.
Buildings that have been transformed through conversations from old to new are also a popular this year include  the Wardrobe Theatre conversion of an Old Market bank and the Floating Harbour Studio conversion of a Dutch sand barge.
Other unusual venues include Redcliffe Caves, No1 Dock Cottages at Cumberland Basin and the Light Vessel 55 on the Bathurst Basin. Buildings usually open to the public, such as Colston Hall and the Hippodrome will be staging behind-the-scenes tours.
Computershare will welcome visitors to its recently listed 1970s-built headquarters at The Pavilions on Bedminster Down, pictured below, where it employs 1,500 people. It has spent £13m refurbishing the office, which was designed by Arup.
The city-wide festival takes place across a wider area than ever before, inviting people to get out and explore their local neighbourhood.
New to the programme this year are buildings clustered in Bishopsworth, Hartcliffe & Hengrove and Old Market, while on the Saturday there will be vintage buses for free nostalgic rides.
In total more than 80 buildings – large and small, iconic and undiscovered – will open their doors on from 10am to 4pm free of charge. Bristol was the first UK city to stage an event of this kind – an initiative that now takes place across most cities.
Project coordinator Anna Farthing said: “We want to encourage people to go behind the scenes in these buildings and take their time to see things that they wouldn’t usually see. We want to encourage slow looking – a bit like slow food.â€
This year’s Bristol Doors Open Day coincides with the Architecture Centre’s 20th anniversary. Partners include Burges Salmon, Smith & Williamson, Triodos Bank and Wapping Wharf.
Architecture Centre manager Christine Davis said: “Bristol Doors Open Day is a highlight in our packed September programme of anniversary events and activities, which also include an exhibition, symposium, talks and family activities.
“We are delighted to be showcasing the best of Bristol design, old and new, and celebrating our past, present and future.â€
Bristol Doors Open Day, part of the national Heritage Open Doors event across the UK, also coincides this year with the Tour of Britain bike race passing through Bristol on Saturday September 10.
Bristol Doors Open Day 2016 is part of the Architecture Centre’s ‘Opening Doors to Heritage’ project, funded by Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Nerys Watts from Heritage Lottery Fund South West said: “The Bristol Doors Open Day is a fantastic event that brings tens of thousands of people together to discover rarely seen heritage.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, our grant is ensuring this year’s event is bigger than ever before with more places to see and more activities to get involved in. We hope everyone has a fun and inspiring weekend.â€
Weekend highlights:
- Bring a torch to visit Bristol’s underbelly at Redcliff Caves, Bristol Temple Meads tunnels, St John on the Wall crypt and the chambers of Clifton Suspension Bridge
- See the changing forms of public bathing in the city from the baths of Kings Weston Roman Villa to the Edwardian Cloakroom and the art deco Slipper Baths
- Discover how buildings can contribute to wellbeing at Southmead Hospital Bristol, Glenside Hospital Museum and Portland Centre for Integrative Medicine
- See art in architecture with partners Bristol Biennial 2016: In Other Worlds at the Our Colour installation at Pithay and the futuristic fete at Hengrove Mounds Festival of Ancients
- Learn how the workplace revolution puts innovation and sustainability front and centre at Arup Bristol, Triodos Bank, Bristol Water Head Office and Filwood Green Business Park
- Free family activities are hosted at more than 40 venues with butter churning at Blaise Castle House Museum, tightrope walking at Circomedia in St Pauls Church or exploring Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust.
The website - bristoldoorsopenday.org.uk - has a full list of venues, updates and further information. Free guides are available from the Architecture Centre, Bristol Tourist Information Centre, libraries and other public venues. Advance booking is required for some tours and activities.
