Get your mobile at the ready: a new ‘selfie wall’ has been unveiled today on Cattle Market Road near Temple Meads Station.
The temporary exhibit aims to brighten up the derelict sorting office site and breathe new life into the area while building work is underway, ahead of the construction of the University of Bristol’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.
The striking artwork has been created by Upfest on behalf of Bristol City Council in partnership with Out of Hand, the University of Bristol and site clearance contractor Kier. It is loosely based on the history of the sorting office site, charting its transformation from medieval pasture land to cutting-edge university campus and beyond.
Mayor Marvin Rees said:
“We have huge ambitions for Bristol and the ongoing regeneration of the Temple Quarter is a critical part of that. We’re developing the area to create an environment for new homes as well as continuing to deliver thousands of new jobs for local people. The new campus will stimulate even more growth and it’s exciting to see this project moving forward.
“What we’re trying to say with the selfie wall is that everyone can be part of the ‘Temple Quarter Story’ and share in the amazing creativity and vibrancy of this new city district. It’s a bit of a fun and clearly there’s some artistic licence in the storytelling but there’s a serious message behind it: the Temple Quarter is open to everyone – come and get involved.”
To encourage people to visit the installation the council has teamed up with local businesses to run a competition throughout August. Anyone who takes a photo of themselves in front of the selfie wall and shares it on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #TempleQuarterStory will have the chance to win a prize. More details at BristolTempleQuarter.com/story.
Work on the clearance of the sorting office site itself is underway. The derelict Cattle Market Tavern was removed in May and contractors are continuing with enabling works in preparation for the demolition of the main sorting office building in the coming months, making way for the University of Bristol’s new campus.
Professor Guy Orpen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol said:
“This selfie wall is open to all to join in acknowledging the history of the Temple Quarter area and imagining its future. We want our new campus to be part of a welcoming and inclusive new quarter of the city, bringing new educational, research, innovation and partnership opportunities and providing new connections to the city and its communities and open spaces for living, working and relaxing.”
David Snell, operations director at Kier, said:
“This selfie wall is a fantastic opportunity for local people to find out more about this project and the surrounding area and share all these details and photos with others on social media. As the UK’s leading regional builder, we are committed to engaging with local communities and showcasing our work as we look to inspire the next generation of talent to consider a role within the built environment.”
Nigel Muntz, Commercial Director at Out of Hand said:
“We’re really pleased to be working with the council to brighten up this area of the city and at the same time offer new advertising space for local cultural events and small businesses . It’s the first time we’ve been asked to create a selfie wall and I’m looking forward to seeing people have fun with it.”