A landmark building on Bristol Harbourside has been awarded Grade II listed status. Canons House, which joins more than 200 listed structures in the city, was handed the recognition by the Government on the advice of Historic England.
The news comes six months after Lloyds Bank announced it was putting the property up for sale after deciding to move from the building. The bank has owned Canons House since 1990 but is relocating thousands of staff to another site overlooking the floating harbour in the second quarter of 2022.
In October, Lloyds said it was discussing the sale of Canons House with Bristol City Council to see if there were occupiers, developers or investors who would be interested in investing in the redevelopment of the building. But now the property has been listed, the new owners will face restrictions if they wish to re-develop and will need to apply for special consent.
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A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said: "We announced in October 2021, plans to bring our Bristol- based teams together in one location this year. We are investing in the area by renovating our Harbourside office, where all our people will work from in the future. Our plans remain unchanged and the building will be put up for sale soon."
Canons House was built as a regional headquarters for Lloyds Bank between 1988 and 1991 after the bank took the decision to relocate its retail banking functions to a single site outside of London in 1986. Arup Associates were commissioned as architects.
According to Historic England, the building played an "important role" in the post-industrial regeneration of Bristol’s docks as a thriving recreation and cultural centre. Designed to have a civic presence and with an integrated amphitheatre, it forms one of Bristol’s key public assembly spaces, and is a monumental and distinctive harbourside landmark.
Historic England has said the building is an “accomplished example” of post-modern architecture, a style widespread between about 1975 and 1990. Postmodernist buildings are characterised by their engagement with context and setting, reference to older architectural traditions and use of symbolism, the heritage body said.
Rebecca Barrett, regional director at Historic England, said: “People in Bristol and beyond will know Canons House, whether they worked there or have enjoyed an event in its amphitheatre.
“Listing recognises the importance of its public function, and celebrates the way it draws on Bristol’s rich architectural heritage, and its waterfront surroundings, to create a 20th century landmark.
“We are looking forward to working with the city council and the new owners in considering the future of this important location in Bristol."
Nigel Huddleston, minister for tourism, sport, commonwealth games, heritage, and civil society at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, added: "Listing buildings recognises and protects their special architectural or historic interest for future generations to enjoy. Canon's House is a striking example of postmodernist architecture so it is fantastic to see this iconic Bristol landmark Grade II listed."
What is a listed building?
According to Historic England, buildings with special architectural and historic interest are listed. The status also brings the property under the consideration of the planning system, so that it can be protected for future generations.
The older a building is, and the fewer the surviving examples of its kind, the more likely it is to be listed. There are around 400,000 listed building entries in England and they are classified into three grades:
- Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest. Just 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I.
- Grade II* buildings are particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 5.8% of listed buildings are Grade II*.
- Grade II buildings are of special interest warranting every effort to preserve them. Over 90% of all listed buildings are in this grade.
"The buildings built before 1700 which survive in anything like their original condition are likely to be listed, as are most buildings built between 1700 and 1850. Particularly careful selection is required for buildings from the period after 1945. Buildings less than 30 years old are not normally considered to be of special architectural or historic interest because they have yet to stand the test of time," a statement on the Historic England website explains.
