On friday 17 October 1975 Arnolfini opens to the public its new permanent premises on the ground and first floors of the former Bush warehouse at the end of Narrow Quay – within sight of the city centre, yet surrounded on two sides by water and broad quaysides.
Built as a tea warehouse early in the 1830’s, this impressive building has been renovated externally and reconstructed internally to provide galleries on two floors together with a bookshop, cinema (also designed for live music events and contemporary dance), restaurant and bars -entered from the quayside that runs from the city centre. The four upper floors have been developed as offices with a separate entrance on Prince Street.
These extensive facilities will provide a permanent basis for the activities in the visual arts, music and cinema which Arnolfini has been building up in Bristol since 1961 and which have attracted such wide attention and use by the public (both in Bristol and from all over the country) – particularly in the 2 1/2 years we have been in our temporary premises in W Shed.
Arnolfini at Narrow Quay has been made possible financially by a most generous private gift and by help from the Arts Council of Great Britain the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and many others, together with the generous collaboration of the JT Building Group.
The new Arnolfini opens at Narrow Quay on 17 October. EVERYONE IS SAYING THEY ARE GOING TO COME AND SEE US!
