B Bond Warehouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids B Bond Warehouse |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Bristol |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°26′46″N 2°37′10″W / 51.446186°N 2.619482°W |
| Completed | 1908 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Reinforced Concrete |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Docks Committee engineer |
| Engineer | William Cowlin and Sons |
B Bond Warehouse is a really old and important building in Bristol, England. It was built a long time ago, in 1908, to help store goods coming into Bristol Harbour by ship. It's known for being one of the first big buildings in Britain made with a special strong material called reinforced concrete.
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A Historic Building in Bristol
B Bond Warehouse was built in 1908. It was one of three large warehouses constructed near the Cumberland Basin. These buildings were needed because a lot of tobacco was being imported into Bristol in the early 1900s. A Bond was built in 1905, and C Bond followed in 1919. All three of these warehouses are now considered Grade II listed buildings. This means they are important historical buildings that are protected.
How B Bond Warehouse Was Built
B Bond was a very special building for its time. It was the first major building in Britain to use a new way of building called reinforced concrete. This method, which uses concrete with steel bars inside, was developed by an engineer named Edmond Coignet. The building was constructed by a company called Cowlins Construction.
The warehouse has a very open design inside. It is nine storeys high, which is very tall, and has 18 windows across its front. It was built in two equal parts, separated by a strong wall in the middle. Besides concrete, the builders used different types of bricks, like black, red, and blue ones. They also used Pennant stone for steps, terracotta decorations, and a Welsh slate roof.
What B Bond Warehouse Is Used For Today
For many years, even into the 1990s, B Bond Warehouse was still used to store things like wines and spirits. Today, the building is owned by Bristol City Council.
Bristol Archives and Council Offices
The western half of the building is now home to Bristol Archives. This is where many important historical records and documents about the city of Bristol are kept safe. Other offices for the city council are also located here. The outside brickwork of the building was carefully repaired to match its original look.
The CREATE Centre
The eastern side of B Bond Warehouse is where the CREATE Centre is located. This centre is focused on helping the environment. It even has an energy-saving Ecohome, which is a special house designed to use less energy. The CREATE Centre also hosts several groups and teams from the city council that work on making Bristol more sustainable and eco-friendly.
A Home for Books
In 2015, a huge number of books and reference materials were moved to B Bond Warehouse. These items came from Bristol Central Library. They were moved to make space for renovations at the library and to help create a new school there.
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From the New Cut
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Create Centre including the Ecohome
