University Of Bristol, Museum Lecture Theatre

BRISTOL

ST5873SW UNIVERSITY ROAD 901-1/10/312 (South East side) 01/11/66 University of Bristol, Museum Lecture Theatre (Formerly Listed as: QUEEN'S ROAD (North side) City Museum and Art Gallery)

GV II

Lecture theatre. 1874. By Stuart Colman. Snecked limestone ashlar and red brick with limestone dressings, and a slate roof. Single-depth plan. Italian Gothic Revival style. 2 storeys; 6-bay range. A narrow, gabled entrance block, with a single-storey arcade linking to former museum to the right, and lecture theatre to the left. The entrance has a 2-centre splayed arch to paired 2-centre doorways, beneath a blind arcade of arched panels, beneath a 5-lancet window with colonnettes and quatrefoils, and a steep, coped gable with triple stepped lancets. To the right a 3-window arcade of 2-centre arches with C20 glazing and double doors, beneath a parapet with pierced arches. To the left the lecture theatre is divided into 5 sections by first-floor pilaster strips, and is canted back from the second bay. A near-blind ground floor has a single right-hand arched mullion window; weathered band beneath very narrow blind lancets to each bay, with decorated brickwork from the springing of the lancets to the parapet. The theatre is lit by a round lantern on the ridge, with 2 small louvred dormers. INTERIOR not inspected. The extension to the former museum (qv), built in a compatible if quirky manner. Colman's '...skill in planning... shows he deserved the commission on functional grounds alone' (Gomme). (Gomme A, Jenner M and Little B: Bristol, An Architectural History: Bristol: 1979-: 319; Crick C: Victorian Buildings in Bristol: Bristol: 1975-: 58).

Listing NGR: ST5803973260