Bristol city centre cocktail bar and hotel undergoes “revolutionary” refurbishment

Full service 360 brand design agency, Harrison, has completed a full refurbishment for Young’s & Co.‘s latest project Hort’s Townhouse, located in the city centre of Bristol.

Completed in Spring 2023, the transformation turned an “outdated” sports bar into a premium 1920’s cocktail bar and hotel, bringing the space back to its “former glory”.

Hospitality group Young’s & Co. challenged the team at Harrison with transitioning what was previously called ‘Hort’s’ into a premium cocktail bar and hotel, celebrating the building’s original art deco heritage and the city of Bristol.

Located on Broad Street in the city centre, the building is Grade II listed dating back to the 18th century with a long and varied history having, at one time, been used for everything from a hospitality venue, a sales office, a warehouse, and most recently, a pub and cinema.

The brief from Young’s & Co was not without its challenges; the Harrison team were faced with a long and thin ground floor layout, where a previously tired pub in the front flowed toward the dining area in the back. Adjacent was a cinema as part of the pub’s offering which, while used, was bringing no additional income as tickets were free to patrons.

Jackie Mingo, associate design director at Harrison, commented: “We wanted to get this right, honouring the rich history the building has seen over its years standing, which is why we embarked on such an in-depth research project.

“It laid the foundations of everything from the look and feel, to the space’s identity, to the re-designed customer journey, and finally the little extra touches which continue to tell the story at every twist and turn.

“We are immensely proud of what we have achieved. We feel we have showcased the rich history of the building itself and brought it back to its full potential. Each piece of furniture, design, and little details are selected to add to the character of the building and bring out the art deco feel it once captured so well.”

The dining area has been revamped to include quintessential art deco features and stylisations, capturing the opulence and ambitious optimism of ’20s design. Blue-panelling and deco-inspired artwork adorn the walls while vintage lamps provide soft lighting in the feature rooms with a hero chandelier hanging from the centre of the room.

The bar features a long, expansive wood counter and arched mirrors bring motion to reflect aerodynamic curves, as well as reflecting the back bar to create the feeling of “grandeur and excess”. Vintage tile flooring and textured terracotta ceilings are enhanced by wall lights and pendants, as well as floor and table lamps.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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