The former cinema complex within Bristol’s Cabot Circus will be home to a new “leisure unit” and restaurant as well as the recently-announced new cinema. News broke in November that Odeon had agreed to take on the former Showcase Cinema unit within the shopping centre but that it would not take up the whole vacant unit.
But details have emerged that a new “leisure” unit is set to be based within the space alongside the smaller cinema. The leisure brand, which is undisclosed currently, will be based across a mezzanine level and two of the four levels within the corner of Cabot Circus.
Within a planning application submitted to Bristol City Council, it can be confirmed that the new leisure unit will take up 23,717 sqft across the mezzanine, first and second floors. This is in comparison to Odeon which will be spread out over 48,065 sqft (including the foyer).
In addition, a new restaurant will be created on the first floor (which is the floor connecting to the entrance at the top of Cabot Circus). The restaurant will be 3,682 sqft in size. Proposed floor plans have shown that each of the three tenants will have their own entrance.
How will the unit change?
The design and access statement, submitted by Urban Edge Architects, confirms that the upper two levels of the complex, which housed some of the screens for the cinema, will remain unchanged and will be used by Odeon. The statement said that the cinema auditorium on the mezzanine level will be removed.
Of the mezzanine level, the statement said: “The existing cinema auditorium at this level will be removed and the floorspace reconfigured in preparation for a future leisure operator to occupy. A new fire escape core will be formed in the northwestern corner of the unit to facilitate a fire escape up to the first floor.”
More details of the first floor were revealed within the statement, which said: “The existing lobby floorspace will be carved into four main spaces – a downsized foyer space for a new cinema operator, a new restaurant unit, and a new entrance space for the new leisure unit at mezzanine level. The cinema will retain the existing escalators and passenger lift which links to the next levels.
“The remaining space will be reconfigured into a landlord controlled internalised conditioned lobby space for the three new units. This space will incorporate further seating areas for the restaurant unit in a similar style to those externally to the restaurant units adjacent.
“The design of the internal lobby space is subject to further development but will seek to maximise the visibility of the activity within the space. Most likely this will focus on creating a bright enticing space using feature lighting and light-coloured materials. Each tenant will be responsible for the design of their own internal shopfront.”
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The statement said that changes will be imminent to the second floor, adding: “The existing cinema mezzanine space at this level will be reconfigured and subdivided. The bulk will be retained for the cinema unit, with the remainder allocated to the leisure unit. As with the other floors a new fire escape core will be formed.”
Hammerson told Bristol Live that “exciting plans” were in the works but that it was too early to give any clues on what the new leisure brand or restaurant could be. It is also unknown how many screens will be within Odeon, as the cinema is reduced in size from the previous 14 screens offered by Showcase.
Odeon will open at Cabot Circus sometime in 2025, however a date has not been confirmed. It is unknown when the other brands will be opening, nor when the brands themselves will be announced.
How did we get here?
Earlier this year, Hammerson and Cabot Circus said that it wanted to “evolve” the shopping centre through bringing in new brands offering variety. This came after Showcase Cinema closed in late 2023.
The likes of King Pins Bowl, Treetop Golf and Marks & Spencer will be opening in Cabot Circus. Eateries such as Six by Nico and Honi Poke were also confirmed, the latter already being open to the public.
Part of the strategy involves bringing in “brand-firsts”, those not seen in Bristol or in the region. This saw Lids, H&M Home, Stradivarius and Miniso open within the Broadmead-based shopping centre in recent times.
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