In the heart of Bristol’s Old City, a historic French Renaissance building is being transformed into stylish design-led apartments

In the heart of Bristol’s Old City, a historic French Renaissance building is being transformed into stylish design-led apartments by leading housebuilder Acorn Property Group. Set to launch this Saturday 28th November, Alliance House provides a collection of forty-four apartments, ideal for first-time buyers or investors with prices starting from £150,000.

Alliance House is the transformation of the Dunlop Building on Baldwin Street, which was originally constructed in 1881 as new premises for local wine merchants Dunlop, Mackie & Co. With the building historically fronting directly onto the open port, the prominent merchants used the premises to prepare and ship their wine, Champagne and spirits around the world.

Following the success of Brandon Yard, a converted former Victorian gasworks, along with new build apartments on Bristol Harbourside, Acorn has returned to the heart of the city with a new collection of apartments at Alliance House. The historic building is being given a new lease of life, with Acorn creating a collection of forty-four studio and 1-bedroom apartments.

The building’s fantastic location means new residents can enjoy the Old City’s bars, restaurants and street markets, being within easy walking distance of everything in the city. On the ground floor there will be mixed retail, with residential accommodation on the above three floors. Construction is due to start imminently with the homes set to complete at the end of 2021.

Every home will feature Acorn’s high-quality specification with details tailored for a vibrant city centre lifestyle. Each home will have wood-effect flooring, modern white-tiled bathrooms and fitted kitchens with integrated appliances. There will be carpet in the bedrooms of the 1-bedroom apartments, with attention to detail meaning every home will have bright, open-plan living spaces and lots of natural light. The development will also offer secure bike storage for residents, and a secure video-entry system.

Acorn has ensured the heritage of the building has been incorporated in the design through use of existing features, in this case exposing brick walls in select apartments. Designed to maximise use of space and light, the homes also feature generous windows and floor to ceiling heights.

Bristol’s harbourside is a bustling location and significant cultural hub. Historic buildings around the harbour and throughout the city have been transformed to offer art and leisure activities with heritage beautifully preserved. The Arnolfini art gallery is Bristol’s International Centre for Contemporary Art, housed in a historic Grade II listed building overlooking the harbour, with the M Shed museum offering colourful exhibitions on Bristol’s history, located in a former dockside transit shed. There is the annual Bristol Harbour Festival, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021, with other music, food and film festivals throughout the city offering something for everyone. Built in the 1830s, Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Britain – the largest ship in the world when it was built – has been preserved and permanently moored as a popular tourist attraction.

Today, Bristol is a sought-after city with vibrant culture and a diverse lifestyle offering, with the city regularly topping the Best Place to Live polls. The city centre offers an array of independent shops, restaurants, bars and leisure activities. With Alliance House located 20 minutes walking distance from Bristol Temple Meads station, there are direct rail connections to London’s Waterloo, as well as great connections across Somerset and the South West. Located in the city centre, the homes also benefit from a variety of bus routes.

Robin Squire, Regional Managing Director of Acorn’s Bristol office says: “The launch of Alliance House has been much-anticipated and we are delighted to be bringing this superb collection of studio and 1-bed apartments to the market. With a high-quality specification and modern design, the homes are well suited for First Time Buyers looking to get their foot on the property ladder, and for investors. Alliance House has a rich history as the former premises for prominent Dunlop, Mackie & Co wine merchants and it is wonderful the original architecture has been preserved with modern homes breathing new life into the majestic building.”

Acorn are pleased to have partnered with leading estate agents, Savills, who have extensive expertise in the local area and are looking forward to helping you with your property search at Alliance House.