Image: Izzy Posen
A huge fire broke out on Saturday at Balfour Beatty’s partially-completed Bristol University Fry Building refurbishment.
The contractor was awarded the £33m deal to renovate and extend the Grade II listed building in March 2016. It was due to reopen in summer 2018.
A statement from Bristol University said: “A fire broke out in our Fry Building at just after 5pm this evening [Saturday 6 January]. The building is currently undergoing refurbishment. Everyone has been accounted for and Avon Fire & Rescue Service successfully extinguished the fire at around 8pm. We will now be working with them [the police] in the coming days to help investigate the cause of the blaze.”
The refurbishment scheme involved construction of a new main entrance, a raised external terrace, a new atrium and a new 140-seat lecture theatre. New services to improve energy efficiency and environmental performance including photovoltaic panels, new plant and services were also being installed.
The revamped 10,335 sq m Fry Building is to become the University’s home for the School of Mathematics.
The project topped out in November 2017 and was scheduled to be ready for the start of the 2018 academic year.
