VICTORIA ROOMS (BRISTOL)

The 'Victoria Rooms' also known colloquially as the 'Vic Rooms'^[1] is the name given to the building which now houses the University of Bristol's music department in Clifton, Bristol. Situated at the junction of Queen's Road and Whiteladies Road, the building was designed as assembly rooms by Charles Dyer who was noted for his Gothic Revival architecture and built between 1839 and 1841 in Greek revival style incorporating an eight-columned Corinthian portico. It houses a 745 seat auditorium, rehearsal rooms and a recording studio.^[2]

Contents

History

References

External links

History

The Victoria Rooms were opened in May 1842 and before being purchased by the University of Bristol the venue is known to have had Jenny Lind and Charles Dickens perform there. From 1873 the venue housed a large organ originally built for the Royal Panopticon of Arts and Science but this was destroyed by fire in 1934.
Purchased by the University in the 1920s, the building originally housed the students' union before a purpose-built union was constructed on nearby Queen's Road in the 1960s. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II
★ listed building,^[3] as have the fountains, lamps, balustrades, railings and statues to the front of the building.^[4]

References

1. http://www.bris.ac.uk/music/facilities/vicrooms/
2. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/conferences/meetings/victoria/
3. Victoria Rooms and attached railings and gates
4. Fountains, lamps, balustrades, railings and statues to front of Victoria Rooms

Andrew Foyle, ''Bristol'', Pevsner Architectural Guides (2004) ISBN 978-0-300-10442-4

External links

★ Bristol University Music Department