Electricity House, Bristol

This article is about the building in Bristol, England. For the building in Ahmedabad, Gujarat also known as Electricity House, see Vijali Ghar.

Electricity House
Former names	West Gate
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Originally offices; now residential and mixed-use
Architectural style	Art Deco
Location	Rupert Street and Quay Street, Bristol, England
Address	Electricity House, Colston Avenue, BS1 4TB
Coordinates	51°27′21″N2°35′45″W / 51.455849°N 2.595697°W / 51.455849; -2.595697
Construction started	1935
Completed	1937
Technical details
Floor count	6
Floor area	90,000 sq ft
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Giles Gilbert Scott
Developer	Crest Nicholson
Designations
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name	West Gate
Designated	18 May 1981
Reference no.	1052272

Electricity House, formerly known as West Gate, is a Grade II-listed Art Deco building at the former junction of Rupert Street and Quay Street in central Bristol, England. Designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, it was constructed between 1935 and 1937 for the Bristol Corporation Electricity Department, but was not fully completed or occupied until 1948 due to wartime requisitioning. Electricity House has since been converted into a residential building following redevelopment in 2016. ^[1]

History

Commissioned to accommodate the expanding Bristol Corporation Electricity Department, Electricity House was built on a site cleared in the 1930s near the former Demerara House. ^[2] The building was requisitioned during the Second World War for aircraft component production, delaying its completion until 1948, when it became the headquarters of the newly formed South Western Electricity Board. ^[2]

In the early 2000s, the building, by then known as West Gate, was owned by Aviva Investors’ APIA Regional Office Fund. In 2013, it was purchased by developer Crest Nicholson, who proposed a residential-led, mixed-use redevelopment as part of the Nelson Street Regeneration Area. ^{[3] [4]}

Design

Electricity House is a prominent example of 1930s art deco in Bristol, where the style is relatively uncommon. ^[5] Constructed of Portland stone ashlar, the building features a symmetrical curved façade, deep-plan interior, and a recessed upper storey forming a loggia. The entrance is framed by full-width plate-glass windows, an architrave with roundels, and a central cartouche.

The interior includes a curved staircase and light-filled atrium, restored as part of a redevelopment completed in 2016, for which it received the “Best Refurbishment Project of the Year” award. ^[1]

See also

• The Centre
• Grade II listed buildings in Bristol

References

1. Duck, Charlotte (20 April 2022). "Six stunning Art Deco properties that pay homage to Downton Abbey". Tatler. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
2. BIAS Journal No. 26 (1993), Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society.
3. Media, Insider (4 October 2013). "Crest Nicholson acquires Bristol office building - Insider Media". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
4. Buckland, Robert (4 October 2013). "Iconic city centre building to be turned into flats | Bristol Business News" . Retrieved 22 May 2025.
5. Newman, Ray (18 April 2019). "Art Deco Bristol" . Retrieved 22 May 2025.