Employment Exchange

The Employment Exchange is a labour exchange building constructed in 1931, located on All Saints Street in Bristol. It features a wedge-shaped single-depth plan and is designed in the Neo-Georgian style, built from brick with Portland stone dressings and a tiled hipped roof. The building has two storeys and showcases banded rustication below a moulded plat band, a first-floor sill, and a second-floor string. It is adorned with a brick frieze and a deep cornice beneath the parapet.

The entrance is positioned in the short corner elevation, set back within a tall semicircular-arched bay. The doorway is framed by a moulded architrave and features five large, stepped, nodding voussoirs leading to an eight-panel, two-leaf door. Above the sill band, there is a lunette with glazing bars. Access to the entrance is provided by two curved Pennant steps, with small windows on either side above large stone plinths topped with cyma moulding.

The main elevation facing Nelson Street includes twelve semicircular-arched openings with rusticated voussoirs and keys that extend up to the band. Four doorways, separated by pairs of windows, are adorned with moulded stone entablatures, pilaster jambs, and semicircular overlights, leading to two-leaf doors with moulded panels. The first-floor windows are flat-arched, and there are small attic windows that were reglazed in 1992. These are separated by two-storey semicircular-arched recesses above the doorways, featuring volute keys, first-floor balconies, and matching windows with pilaster jambs, fluted entablatures with paterae, and ashlar batswing fans above.

Inside, there is a glazed screen and door leading to the entrance hall, which has semicircular arches on either side and an open-well staircase with twisted steel balusters and a curtail step. The offices behind have been remodelled. This building makes interesting use of an oddly-shaped site and is notable for its imposing entrance and fine stone detailing, representing a good example of the inter-war classical architectural tradition.