Old Bristol Royal Infirmary | Bristol
Reconnecting the city
The dilemma of how to treat the obsolete Old Bristol Royal Infirmary and chapel had led to a planning stalemate. Architects Alec French came up with a plan to convert the imposing Georgian building into apartments and use the rest of the steep city centre site for student housing. NT devised a landscape scheme to allow all the users to have access to outside open space, while also sharing part of the site with the public.
The heart of the scheme was a new public square which directly related to the hospital chapel that would become a community asset. Mirror fountains would reflect the newly revealed historic building facades. The square stepped down to the surrounding residential buildings with planting and trees to create privacy for the homes. The surrounding streets were also widened to improve city connections for pedestrians and cyclists.
Architects visualisation: Alec French Architects
Key features
- Multi-level courtyard urban spaces
- Integrated suds scheme which also provides separation for private zone
- Planted framework unites upper and lower spaces
- Improved streetscape in historic quarter
- Light-hearted student spaces
