The refurbishment of The Generator in Bristol has become one of the South West’s most impressive workspaces. Clockwise Bristol is a design led workspace with its newest location in the historic Grade II listed Generator building. Having first opened in 1899, the site was once home to the generator that powered the City’s tram system. 

With extensive views of Bristol’s ‘floating harbour’, the new location covers over 30,000 sq. ft. of design-led spaces, spanning six floors, including dedicated offices, private desks, event spaces, a member’s lounge, and on-site Café, Two Hands. Featuring bright and airy double height spaces, natural light has been prioritised throughout the building to aid circadian rhythms, increase productivity, and reduce stress. This can be seen in the third and fourth floor feature windows and high ceilings, that provide views to the waterways below, providing a soothing element to the space. Taking a considered approach to design to foster community and interaction, Clockwise Bristol features a range of public spaces which have been created to increase dwell time and interaction, enhancing opportunities for cross collaboration with other members. 

To reimagine the space for modern use, new interior elements have been sensitively added to the building while leaving the building’s core structure uncompromised. Examples of standout original design features include the original tiled brick façade that has been maintained throughout the space with aged copper cladding used to reference the rusted metal of objects previously found in the Generator Building. To reference the Victorian architecture of the space, a mixture of industrial and boutique features have been introduced with the use of corrugated metal, mosaic floors to mimic the original flooring and a raw metal spiral staircase. 

Paying homage to the building’s history through sensitive restoration, new additions to the space include a bar featuring a bespoke overhead light installation formed of prismatic acrylic, inspired by the flow of electricity. A club lounge complements the bar space and activates the street presence of the space, creating room for a café open for the wider public to enjoy. Throughout the building, a nod to the local community has also been portrayed, with artwork from local artists and styling of the space which reflects the building’s industrial past and waterside setting. 

British sustainable furniture designers and manufacturers were selected to reduce the carbon impact of importing pieces form further afield. The building is on track to achieve BREEAM Very Good and was designed with sustainability and wellbeing in mind as a key part of the refurbishment process. The single initial vision was to regenerate a neglected iconic heritage building using as much of the existing materiality as possible, reducing the use of virgin materials and finishes in the project.