West Gate

Commissioned to accommodate the expanding Bristol Corporation Electricity Department, Electricity House was built on a site cleared in the 1930s near the former Demerara House. The building was requisitioned during the Second World War for aircraft component production, delaying its completion until 1948, when it became the headquarters of the newly formed South Western Electricity Board. The refurbishment, which started in 2014, won the Housebuilder magazine 'Best Refurbishment Project' award in 2016 for Crest Nicholson.

Electricity House is a prominent example of 1930s Art Deco in Bristol, where the style is relatively uncommon. Constructed of Portland stone ashlar, the building features a symmetrical curved façade, deep-plan interior, and a recessed upper storey forming a loggia. The entrance is framed by full-width plate-glass windows, an architrave with roundels, and a central cartouche. The interior includes a curved staircase and light-filled atrium, restored as part of the redevelopment completed in 2016.