A new octagonal tower is being planned on vacant land next to the Cabot Circus car park.
The 28-storey building, which would provide student accommodation, is proposed as part of a wider scheme known as Cabot Gate. The development could also include a second building of up to eight storeys, which may become a hotel, co-living scheme or additional student housing, along with a new community space.
Landowner Hammerson says the site in St Jude’s “is the perfect location for an exceptional and unique building to mark this key entry point into the city”.
Hammerson says the scheme will create “a green, pedestrian-friendly place with new homes, a café and community space”.
A new walkway linking St Jude’s to Cabot Circus is proposed through the site, and a new shared pedestrian and cycle lane could replace the existing pavement on Newfoundland Way.
According to Hammerson, the tower, which could accommodate around 500 students, will “create a distinct and memorable arrival point into the city” and “careful consideration (has been) given to height, including taking reference from other consented city centre buildings”.
Bristol’s current tallest building is the 88-metre Castle Park View tower, which has 26 storeys, but it is likely to be overtaken by other proposed city centre towers, including those planned for the former Debenhams and Premier Inn sites overlooking the Bearpit.
The Cabot Gate tower, designed by Redcliffe-based architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, is described as “a unique marker building” whose exterior “draws on different Bristol traditions, including Byzantine, industrial and maritime architecture”.