Populous scheme to open in 2018

Bristol city council has approved plans by Populous for its new £92 million arena close to the city’s Temple Meads railway station.

The revised plans include improved transport provision, access to the public plaza and new access routes to and from the venue. Bouygues is set to build the project.

Populous won the deal with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios with the competition originally launched by former RIBA president George Ferguson, who is standing for re-election as city mayor at next month’s local elections.

The 12,000-seat venue is due to open in two years’ time with work starting later this year. Main contractor on the scheme is French firm Bouygues, which is also building Thomas Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge in London.

Bristol is one of the last cities to build an arena with Populous having built a similar venue at Leeds, which opened in 2013 and which hosted the following year’s opening ceremony of the Tour de France which started in the city.