Restoring the iconic: how we transformed Bristol Beacon for the next 100 years  

Formerly Colston Hall, the Grade II listed venue dates back to 1860, with layers of history — and fire damage — stitched into its structure. The vision was bold: to create a world-class performance venue with exceptional acoustic quality, new education and performance zones, and to reopen this cultural cornerstone for generations to come.

But refurbishing a 160-year-old structure meant stepping into the unknown — and that’s where Willmott Dixon’s expertise in complex, heritage-led construction came into its own.

A world-class venue, in the heart of Bristol

With a final budget of £94 million (from an original circa £40 million), and a construction timeline from 2019 to 2023, this was one of the most ambitious and technically demanding projects we’ve ever delivered. Our scope included:

• Rebuilding and refurbishing the main performance hall to world-class acoustic standards
• Transforming Lantern Hall into new flexible performance, conference and learning space
• Converting the basement into a third performance venue and education centre
• Navigating six storeys of complex, fragile, and historically significant fabric
• Managing over 200 tonnes of temporary steelwork to provide structural stabilisation while undertaking the works

Today, Bristol Beacon is a landmark of civic pride — but the route there was anything but easy.

Restoration means discovery — and adaptability

From the outset, we knew this wasn’t a standard job. Despite extensive pre-construction investigations, the real state of the building only became clear as we opened it up. Some of the more memorable discoveries included:

• Three hand-built Elizabethan wells, including one beneath the proscenium arch and another under a planned lift pit
• Structural voids inside assumed loadbearing brick columns
• Existing structure fragility requiring reinforcement with sprayed concrete and jackets

Even after six months of enabling works by a demolition contractor, our team spent the next 18 months continuing careful deconstruction before we could even begin major rebuilding. At one point, the entire building was supported by a web of temporary steel, stabilising unsafe structures until remedial works could begin.

This type of project requires not only technical agility, but programme agility too. We constantly reprogrammed based on what we could access safely, working around constraints without halting progress. That flexibility kept the project moving despite the odds.

The right contract, the right approach

Bristol Beacon was delivered under a NEC3 Option A contract, with a hybrid arrangement introduced mid-way through delivery. We took full design-and-build responsibility for the internal “fit-out box”, while the customer retained control over the external structure.

We issued over 1,000 early warnings — a testament to the unpredictable nature of heritage restoration. Success depended on rigorous documentation, collaborative risk reduction meetings, and honest communication with both our customer (Bristol City Council) and end-user (Bristol Music Trust).

Every change was managed with full transparency, ensuring no surprises — only solutions.

Engineering precision: Acoustics, AV, and specialist trades

Delivering a venue with top-five acoustics in the UK called for exceptional technical input. We worked with specialist supply chain partners across:

• Historic plaster and stone restoration
• Stage engineering and rigging
• Acoustic engineering and AV integration
• M&E systems designed to work silently within the constraints of a listed building

Many of these trades are extremely niche — there aren’t dozens of historic plaster specialists in Bristol. So when work volumes doubled, we didn’t just ask for more hands — we supported them with reprogramming and additional management capacity.

Bringing these specialists in early, and truly listening to their advice, was key. We didn’t assume we knew better — we collaborated, coordinated, and learned together.

People made this possible

At peak, our team included 14 site managers, each bringing different skills: structural, M&E, planning, stakeholder engagement. My role was to understand their strengths and place them where they’d deliver most value — a theme across all of our most successful projects.

Investing in our team paid dividends. As the deadline neared, our site team worked nights and weekends, not because they were told to — but because they were invested. It mattered to them. That pride and ownership turned obstacles into achievements.

Soft landings, hard deadlines

With acts booked up to 18 months in advance, we knew late-stage delays couldn’t ripple into reopening dates. That meant absorbing major structural discoveries — including a failed foundation under a key steel install — without pushing handover.

Our solution? We reversed the schedule: allowing rehearsals and soft-opening events during the day while our teams worked overnight. This collaborative flexibility, supported by third-party mediation during strained periods, helped us preserve relationships and momentum through to a successful finish.

A legacy for Bristol

• £94 million final project value
• 4 years on site
• 132 weeks of construction
• 3 new performance and learning spaces
• Tens of thousands of annual visitors
• Economic and cultural ripple effects citywide

But perhaps our proudest achievement? Standing in the crowd on opening night, surrounded by 2,000 Bristolians, watching the city come alive again through music.

Key Lessons for Future Heritage Restorations

1. Embrace the unknown — Discovery is inevitable. Plan to be flexible.
2. Document everything — NEC contracts demand disciplined record-keeping.
3. Structure your team for resilience — Match skills to roles, invest in morale.
4. Use the right specialists, early — Their insight improves design and delivery.
5. Maintain trust with your customer — Even under political and financial scrutiny, open and honest dialogue builds long-term partnerships.
6. Float with the right resources — Heritage projects demand more people, more time, and more patience.

Final thoughts

The Bristol Beacon isn’t just a building. It’s a symbol — of civic ambition, of artistic excellence, and of what’s possible when history and progress are given equal respect.

Willmott Dixon’s role in delivering this transformation cements our reputation as a trusted partner for complex restorations. We don’t just restore the past — we futureproof it.