Walk in Bristol
with Richie
5 Nearest Attraction
(4 foot - 1 min walking)
2. M Shed
(0,2 mile - 4 min walking)
(0,1 mile - 3 min walking)
4. Queen Square
(0,2 mile - 4 min walking)
(0,2 mile - 4 min walking)
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Click to the postcode to check the map .
Nearest Public Toilet
Arnolfini Cafe Bar
(Community Toilet Scheme)
16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA
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Arnolfini
16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA
Official website :
Arnolfini is a centre for contemporary arts based on Bristol’s harbourside in the heart of the city. Founded in 1961, the organisation is dedicated to producing and presenting visual arts, performance, dance, film, music and events, underpinned by a commitment to a dynamic civic role in the city.
Front Room Opening Times
Mon: 9am–6pm
Tue-Fri: 9am–8.30pm
Sat-Sun: 10am–6pm
Please be aware these opening times may change from time to time due to events.
Bookshop Opening Times
Everyday 11am - 6pm
BBF Arnolfini cafe/bar Opening Times
Bar opening hours:
Sun–Wed: 9am–8pm
Thu - Sat: 9am–11pm
Kitchen opening hours:
Mon-Wed: 10am–4pm
Thu–Fri: 10am–8pm
Sat: 9am - 8pm
Sun: 9am - 4pm
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Richie's opinion :
" The Arnolfini is a very nice place in Bristol's beautiful Harbourside.
I don't wanna talk about the lot of visual arts, performances, and events, what you find there, if interest you this things you will not be disappointed :) . You need to pay attention, when you visit the Arnolfini, because sometimes, it has got a lot of visitor (sometimes too much to me , who would like to look everything). But the good thing, if too much people visit the Arnolfini, you can find another interesting place near to it ( like M Shed, We the curious, SS Great Britain, and a few small galleries in the Harbourside.. ), and you can visit the Arnolfini another time, because the Arnolfini is unmissable."
History
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Arnolfini is Bristol’s arts house located on the harbourside in the heart of the city.
Jeremy Rees started Arnolfini with the assistance of his wife Annabel, and the painter John Orsborn in 1961.
The original location was above a bookshop in the Triangle in Clifton, Bristol.
In 1968, Rees was able to give up his teaching job and with the aid of private funding and Arts Council funding relocated the gallery to Queen Square, then to E Shed, the current home of the Watershed Media Centre.
In 1975, Arnolfini moved to its present home in Bush House, occupying two floors of a 19th-century Grade II* listed tea warehouse situated on the side of the Floating Harbour in Bristol city centre. The remainder of the building was office space leased out by developers JT Group.
The architect of Bush House was Richard Shackleton Pope, who constructed first the south part of the warehouse (1831) then extended it to the north in 1835–1836. Its original use was as a warehouse for local iron foundry D., E. & A. Acraman. The building has a Pennant Sandstone exterior with arched ground level entrances and arched windows above.
This style of architecture is the first example of the Bristol Byzantine style which became popular in the 1850s. Later conversion to a tea warehouse added interstitial floors.
Originally dedicated to exhibiting the work of artists from the West of England, under the directorship of Barry Barker (1986–1991) the gallery moved towards a more general spread of contemporary art. Barker supervised a successful refurbishment of the gallery spaces and café bar by David Chipperfield. Before development work began, Arnolfini was attracting over 285,000 visitors per year. Subsequent Directors have been Tessa Jackson (1991–1999), Caroline Collier (1999–2005) and Tom Trevor (2005-2013).
As part of a two-year development project that finished in September 2005,the old warehouse has been fully redeveloped, adding another attic storey. Arnolfini now occupies the lower three floors and basement, and the upper floors are leased to help pay for the running costs. One tenant is the School of Creative Arts, part of the University of the West of England. Funding for this development was received from the National Lottery and the Barker-Mill Trust, set up by long term Arnolfini patron Peter Barker-Mill.The original committee to support Arnolfini included Peter Barker-Mill, Ann Hewer, and Lawrence Ogilvie.In July 2015, Bush House was sold to the University of the West of England, with a lease-back of the artistic space. The profits from the sale replenished Arnolfini's endowment fund.
In 2016, Arnolfini was a finalist in the Art Fund’s Museum of the Year, recognised for its extraordinary commitment to broadening participation and engagement with the arts.
To keep up-to-date with news, sign up to Arnolfini's mailing list
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Look through the archive to learn more about the Arnolfini's history of exhibitions and events.
Plus Tate
Arnolfini is a partner of Tate and exchanges programmes, ideas and skills with the Plus Tate network of visual arts organisations across the UK. More information available on the Tate website