Work is officially underway on the expansion of The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, which will increase the number of stages on offer from eight to 11.
Global construction company ISG have been contracted by Bristol City Council to convert the industrial property at Hawkfield Business Park, less than half a mile from the main Bottle Yard site, into three new sound stages.
Measuring 20,000 sq ft, 16,000 sq ft and 7,000 sq ft, the filming spaces will be accompanied by ancillary spaces including production offices, prop stores, costume/makeup areas and break out areas, amounting to approximately 82,000 sq ft (7,600m²) of converted floor space in total.
The £12 million project is expected to be completed by the summer.
The new stages will include sound insulation between stages meeting cinema facility standards, as well as internal noise ratings (NR25 db) and reverberation levels of below two seconds, and the stages will have maximum heights of 34 ft.
Energy supply for the converted buildings will be supported by a large photovoltaic (PV) array, improved insulation and a sophisticated building management system designed to enable energy conservation. Transport around the Studios’ expanded footprint will be carbon neutral, with electric vehicle (EV) points and ample cycling provision supporting low carbon movement.
Laura Aviles, senior film manager for Bristol City Council responsible for The Bottle Yard Studios & Bristol Film Office, said: “This expansion is big news for Bristol’s film and TV sector. Upping The Bottle Yard’s stage count from eight to 11 at a time when space for filming is at a premium, means we can welcome more of the productions we know are keen to film in Bristol, a city that saw a 225 per cent increase in filming in the first quarter of the current financial year.
“We’re making sure Bristol seizes the opportunities presented by the UK production boom with both hands, so that local crew, companies and new generations of talent can reap the benefits in employment, business and skills development.”
Recent productions that have filmed at Bottle Yard Studios include BBC/Amazon psychological thriller Chloe, series one and two of Stephen Merchant’s BBC/Amazon series The Outlaws and BBC One legal drama Showtrial.
