Written by Stanton Williams Ltd
Completed in September 2008, the landmark flagship store for House of Fraser in Bristol challenges the current preference in retail architecture for iconic 'black boxes', unrelated to their surroundings. Instead, it connects with the surrounding urban landscape.
The building comprises massive cubic volumes at its upper levels, juxtaposed and cantilevered out above a single-storey plinth.
Their dynamic sculptural form recalls shifting tectonic blocks, an impression reinforced by the fossil-rich Roach bed Portland stone with which they are predominantly clad.
Large windows and narrow vertical glazed 'faults' punctuate the stonework, adding to the sense of movement and allowing views out. Those at the corners appear not as lightweight openings, but rather as solid, reflective blocks by day and beacons of light at night which signal the store's presence at the gateway to the city.
Other materials continue the organic theme of the Roach, catching light, shade and even rain in different ways.
The plinth level features large panels of bronze, each weighing up to 160kg. Individual panels were deliberately cast to produce a rich texture with as much variation and relief as possible. The treatment of glass and the milling of the bronze panels was developed in close collaboration with the artist Susanna Heron.
The sinuous edge of the junction between the milled and the untreated, textured areas recalls the idea of molten metal. Acid-etched and sand-blasted glass creates a shimmering effect in the case of the largest window.
The result is a fusion of architecture and art whose contextual basis seeks to be both contemporary and timeless.
Cast bronze cladding manufacturer: Sweetmore Engineering
Patination specialist - Capisco Ltd
Brass Cassette cladding manufacturer: CGL Systems Ltd
Main contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine
Top photo: Paul Grundy
