Woods Bagot has been appointed to work up £175m mixed-use proposals for a one-hectare site on the edge of Bristol city centre.

The “Soapworks district” will centre around the grade II-listed Victorian former base of soap-and-candle firm Christopher Thomas & Brothers, which has more recently served as homeware showroom for city department store Gardiner Haskins.

Developer First Base acquired the Soapworks site earlier this year with a view to creating a scheme featuring modern workspace, new homes, an apartment hotel, cafés and restaurants – in conjunction with Bristol city council.

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