# Cabot Circus £.5B well spent then??



## High Voltage (Oct 18, 2008)

Had a quick squizz round there today and got to admit if it was MY money I would not be too impressed.

Looking at the Great Pyramid and the accuracy the stone masons of yore managed to achieve and then a look a the latest temple of modern consumerisum.

There was a lot of 10-15mm out bad joins in the stone work.

Are you familiar with the phrase "it'll be alright when its had some of the rough edges knocked off" well, IN MY HUMBLE  opinion, this place looks like it's been kicking around for a lot longer than it's been open.

What should still be nice sharp, crisp clean lines are starting to looked knocked around.

A lot of the silicon sealant round the glass panels obviously hadn't dried and had been picked up by people messing around with it.

And on the stair way down from the outside there was obviously NO damp proof coarse cause there's a LOAD of damp creeping in through the stone work.

The multi-tired roofs are a design classic. Resulting in . . . . A LEAKING ROOF FFS!!!

Then the view from the outside has GOT TO BE the most unwelcome outside of a shopping mall I've yet to see. Just one long (granted different colours, textures, heights etc) but it was just one long uninviting wall.

And what has it given the centre of Bristol??

Basically 75% of exactly the same shops that EVERY OTHER F*CKING TOWN HAS GOT and a few that have dared to venture out into the provinces. Give then the FIRST CHANCE to get out of the lease contracts and THEY'LL BE GONE. Remember, was it, Bentalls anyone???

Yep, this'll be one to watch on the great architectural programmes of the future.


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## Geri (Oct 18, 2008)

I like the roof, and it feels open in spite of being covered. I can't comment on the quality of the workmanship.


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## High Voltage (Oct 18, 2008)

don't get me wrong the roof is OK. Just not very well thought out. As in it leaks. Good design crap attention to detail. And I only had a 30 minute walk around nothing on detail it just looked and felt a bit "Jerry built" and not a fine example to hold up.


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## wiskey (Oct 18, 2008)

What exactly did you expect?

I also like the roof btw


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## Gmart (Oct 18, 2008)

I had a good look at it yesterday, and I like it. Good design, innovative even, I like the outside/inside indecision and the shops look great - yo sushi is brill and I like the other shops too. 

Hopefully the rest of Bristol town centre will be able to clean themselves up too

Quakers Friars is smart as i've seen. I am impressed that Bristol got the makeover in before the crunch. Just in time!


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## electrogirl (Oct 18, 2008)

Geri said:


> I like the roof, and it feels open in spite of being covered. I can't comment on the quality of the workmanship.



yeah same here, i'm glad you can tell what the weather is like when you're in there! don't feel so cooped up.

i'm confused as to whether i'm allowed to smoke in there though.


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## Gmart (Oct 18, 2008)

electrogirl said:


> yeah same here, i'm glad you can tell what the weather is like when you're in there! don't feel so cooped up.
> 
> i'm confused as to whether i'm allowed to smoke in there though.



Officially not allowed to smoke in the covered areas AND Quaker Friars (which is by the way uncovered!!).

Still i don't reckon QF will remain so for long coz they have to employ people to tell people to put out the fags. 

People generally assume that uncovered is alright - and I agree with them there!


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## xenon (Oct 19, 2008)

electrogirl said:


> yeah same here, i'm glad you can tell what the weather is like when you're in there! don't feel so cooped up.
> 
> i'm confused as to whether i'm allowed to smoke in there though.



Of course you can't. The same reason you can't smoke on train platforms. Work place innit.


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## High Voltage (Oct 19, 2008)

wiskey said:


> What exactly did you expect?
> 
> I also like the roof btw



Well. For half a BILLION pounds a roof that didn't leak probably isn't too much to ask for.

Call me fussy if you will, but I'd have thought that one of the main features of a roof is not to leak. And if it looks nice then that is a bonus, surely not the other way round.

The roof is interesting, but form over function.

Not to worry though, they'll probably be knocking it down in 15-20 years and they'll have a chance to do it all over again.


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## tarannau (Oct 19, 2008)

wiskey said:


> What exactly did you expect?
> 
> I also like the roof btw



This

I mean it's another near identikit shopping mall with the same brands. A new cultural revolution was never going to follow, especially when it's a fairly derivative, average sized thing near to a decent sized city.


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## Zaskar (Oct 19, 2008)

I think people have got it wrong about the roof - it wasnt intended to be an opressive inside space like the mall, it is a covered exterior space - hence no doors.

I think the whole place is cool - mostly.

And I think the traffic isnt a biggie - the changes appear to have improved things.


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## wiskey (Oct 19, 2008)

I particularly like the staircase that is just for sitting on. Just to enjoy the space.


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## Awesome Wells (Oct 20, 2008)

Gmarthews said:


> I had a good look at it yesterday, and I like it. Good design, innovative even, I like the outside/inside indecision and the shops look great - yo sushi is brill and I like the other shops too.
> 
> Hopefully the rest of Bristol town centre will be able to clean themselves up too
> 
> Quakers Friars is smart as i've seen. I am impressed that Bristol got the makeover in before the crunch. Just in time!


Quakers Friars has no character now. At all.

I much prefer the old place (although that toilet was grotty as fuck). It had charm and was, despite being a car park, a welcome respite for a quick sitdown. They even had a farmers market!

Now it's all fred perry and oakeys. Faceless tat for faceless twats.


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## Geri (Oct 20, 2008)

Yeah, if you liked sitting amongst overflowing bins.


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## Awesome Wells (Oct 20, 2008)

i'd rather it was the way it was than the shithole they've constructed now. It's horrible.


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## Geri (Oct 20, 2008)

I think it's nice - Quakers Friars itself looks lovely, I like the tables and chairs outside the new cafe, it has a very continental feel. Yes, the shops are expensive but you don't have to pay to sit down. The little fountains are cool as well.


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## wiskey (Oct 20, 2008)

that's the bit that's open by the white restaurant? 

Haven't found anything at all that I want to buy there but it seems nice enough.


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## big eejit (Oct 20, 2008)

Quakers Friars used to be a dump, and a dangerous dump with motorists playing 'hunt the parking space and sod the pedestrians'. I thought the new version looked really good when I walked  through. A bit 'artist's impression-y' but a vast improvement.


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## Geri (Oct 21, 2008)

wiskey said:


> that's the bit that's open by the white restaurant?
> 
> Haven't found anything at all that I want to buy there but it seems nice enough.



Yes, there's a Radley shop but I am trying to cut down on handbags.


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## Iam (Oct 22, 2008)

They should have spent some of the money on trying to sort Bristol's crippling traffic issues, instead of exacerbating them.


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## Geri (Oct 22, 2008)

I can't say that I have noticed any increase in the traffic at all due to Cabot Circus.


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## wiskey (Oct 22, 2008)

Iam said:


> They should have spent some of the money on trying to sort Bristol's crippling traffic issues, instead of exacerbating them.



I thought they were? There are going to be more pedestrianised areas or something?


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## Iam (Oct 23, 2008)

Geri said:


> I can't say that I have noticed any increase in the traffic at all due to Cabot Circus.



Seems to me that the delays that became the norm during building and rennovation of the M32 have remained, as it goes.

Either way, that still doesn't address the pre-existing issues, which are pretty horrific.


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## geekpenguin (Oct 24, 2008)

Geri said:


> I can't say that I have noticed any increase in the traffic at all due to Cabot Circus.



I have to say that I have noticed a bit of extra traffic around the bottom of the M32, because of Cabot Circus, but not a huge amount - I've had to add like 5-10 minutes to my journey to get to work on time, but it's no big. Hopefully it's just cause it's new. 

But I really like the place. I really like the architecture and how it's revamped the area. I also really like the Quakers Friar bit - it's really pretty and relaxing (although a tad on the expensive side) and reminds me of a mediterranean plaza. Brasserie Blanc looks like it's in France, but it's not out of place, imo. 

Crackin'!


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## Geri (Oct 24, 2008)

geekpenguin said:


> Brasserie Blanc looks like it's in France, but it's not out of place, imo.
> 
> Crackin'!



I think it's beautiful.







It's hard to believe it's the same place I got married in! Apparently the kitchen is totally removable as they couldn't alter the inside of the building too much.


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## big eejit (Oct 24, 2008)

Nice pic Geri. Lucky you weren't harrassed by the security monkeys.


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## Geri (Oct 25, 2008)

Thanks

*modest*





actually it's from their website


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## butterfly child (Oct 25, 2008)

Awesome Wells said:


> Quakers Friars has no character now. At all.
> 
> I much prefer the old place (although that toilet was grotty as fuck). It had charm and was, despite being a car park, a welcome respite for a quick sitdown. They even had a farmers market!
> 
> Now it's all fred perry and oakeys. Faceless tat for faceless twats.



Quakers Friars had charm???????????

When was that?!

It was a handy cut through for the most part - although if you could find a car parking space there, it was quite handy. 

A welcome respite for a sit down and a mugging, if you ask me


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## big eejit (Oct 26, 2008)

Geri said:


> Thanks
> 
> *modest*
> 
> ...



Tsk! I'd heard that security there is pretty hot on unauthorised photographry so I wondered how you'd managed to get a shot that would have taken a while to set up.


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## geekpenguin (Oct 31, 2008)

big eejit said:


> Tsk! I'd heard that security there is pretty hot on unauthorised photographry so I wondered how you'd managed to get a shot that would have taken a while to set up.



:O No photography??? Aww no  that sucks. I was gonna go down and take all these artsy photos of the light and architecture and all that. That scuppers plans a bit...


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## Gmart (Oct 31, 2008)

The outside seating outside all the cafes are permanently empty mostly coz they have stopped people smoking there. Saw some kids kicking it around today - I wonder if they'll allow smoking outside there eventually?

I like the reindeer there atm - and the big boubles in Quaker's Friar


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## Geri (Nov 1, 2008)

geekpenguin said:


> :O No photography??? Aww no  that sucks. I was gonna go down and take all these artsy photos of the light and architecture and all that. That scuppers plans a bit...



I've seen plenty of people taking pictures and videos.


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## big eejit (Nov 1, 2008)

I think it's the usual security guard thing. If you have a little point and shoot camera they leave you alone. If you have something that looks like a 'proper' camera they flip into jobsworth mode and give you the third degree.


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## Geri (Nov 1, 2008)

I expect they're bored - just standing around posh shops all day with nothing to do.


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## Gmart (Nov 1, 2008)

Geri said:


> I expect they're bored - just standing around posh shops all day with nothing to do.



Except stopping people smoking...


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## geekpenguin (Nov 7, 2008)

big eejit said:


> I think it's the usual security guard thing. If you have a little point and shoot camera they leave you alone. If you have something that looks like a 'proper' camera they flip into jobsworth mode and give you the third degree.



 no fair.


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