New Sloane Robinson Building opens: Temple Quarter

Last week, on Monday 7th of September, the new landmark Sloane Robinson Building officially opened.

The Sloane Robinson Building is part of the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC) situated in Bristol Temple Quarter. No longer will it be an area predominantly known just for Temple Meads train station; this new UOB campus will put the area firmly on Bristol’s map.

A new £23 million eastern entrance at Bristol Temple Meads train station, as well as a harbour walkway, has opened alongside the building.

Replacing the old Royal Mail sorting factory, which has stood derelict since 1997, the Sloane Robinson Building is extremely modern. The building, as well as the campus, will be dedicated mostly to business, innovation, digital engineering, artificial intelligence, cyber security, advanced telecommunications and quantum technologies. 

It will include the 300+ seat Bill Brown Lecture Theatre, 22 Active Learning Studios and spaces such as the Maker space dedicated to creative ideas and projects. 

The building is named after Bristol alumnus Hugh Sloane and the Sloane Robinson Foundation in recognition of their major £20 million landmark gift – the single largest donation the university has ever received from an individual donor. 

Sloane said, “This is one of the only times in the last 50 years anywhere in the UK where you have an opportunity to build a new campus right in the heart of the city”. It is debatable to what extent Temple Meads is the ‘heart’ of the city currently, but it is certainly the first area many who visit or commute to Bristol step into and will now be “amazed when they visit Bristol by train and see this world-class academic centre just across the platform”, as Sloane says. 

For UOB students, who predominantly live in the areas of Redlands and Clifton, the commute to this new campus will certainly be longer. From Wills Memorial Building, it takes approximately 45 minutes to walk or 30 minutes via bus, costing £2.60 one way. Via train, it takes 20 minutes to get from Clifton Down station to Temple Meads and costs £1.60 for a one-way ticket. One of the cheapest and quickest ways of getting to the Sloane Robinson building is via e-scooter, with Dott day passes from 3.99 and taking about 15 minutes. 

The new TQEC is part of a 500 million budget scheme to renovate Bristol Temple Quarter, one of the most deprived areas in England, in order to boost the area’s economy and community. 

Once fully developed, the scheme is predicted to add a further £100 million a year to the city’s economy. Moreover, the new campus has been described as ‘porous’, as many spaces in the campus will be open to members of the public. This is aimed at encouraging a more inclusive hub for local communities who will be able to use facilities on campus, including cafes, meeting rooms and civic spaces.

Professor Squires, Deputy Vice Chancellor and University lead for the TQEC, added: “For too long, this part of the city has been divided by physical barriers. Today, those barriers are giving way to new connections: connections between neighbourhoods, between people and opportunity, and between communities and one of the most exciting innovation districts in the country”. 

The public will be encouraged to come and check out the new campus on the 10th of October and to celebrate the University of Bristol’s 150th year. There will be a programme of events including talks, exhibits and tours – and, of course, food and drink. 

Aside from the opening of the Sloane Robinson building, the University has also opened its first international campus in Mumbai, India on Thursday 10th of September. The Mumbai Enterprise Campus has been designed to mirror TQEC’s focus on innovation and industry partnerships. Vice Chancellor and President of UOB Welch said, “At such an important time for the University, we are pleased to develop strong partnerships across the globe which will have meaningful impact, reaching learners and collaborators internationally.”

Therefore, with the first new building of TQEC opening and the university expanding its global reach, this has certainly been an exciting and significant week for both UOB and the city of Bristol.