Spot the difference

Temple Studios

Molly Hawkins was thrilled to collaborate with TCN UK on an exciting public art installation adjacent to Bristol Temple Meads Train Station. Part of the revamp of Temple Studios & Temple 1852, the project features a stunning 60-meter-long painted floor artwork, custom-designed public seating, and two playful pelican crossings. Installed in April 2024, the aim is to transform the car park into a vibrant and engaging space, bringing colour, creativity, and a touch of playfulness to the heart of Bristol.

The project involved three key elements:

TWO THERMOPLASTIC FLOOR CROSSINGS

PAINTED CONCRETE SEATING

60-METER LONG HAND-PAINTED FLOOR ARTWORK

Thermoplastic was used on the pedestrian crossing for durability.

Pedestrian Crossing Mural Google Maps

"Common Ground" - Bristol City Centre

Faded art makes council deputy feel 'embarrassed' - Feb 2026

The total budget for the artwork was £61,000, half of which came from the city council, which said the art was painted with a water-based "specialist road line marking paint" which has been used elsewhere in the city with no issues.

The artwork is expected to cost between £3,000 and £5,000 per year to maintain.

A Freedom of Information request has unearthed information that sheds some light on this decision.

FOI Request - March 2026 - "Common Ground"

OUR COMMON GROUND artwork at the Centre Promenade

The decision to paint in road line marking paint was based on the use of the paint for other surface artworks in the city. The paint was successfully applied in 6 East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood artworks, painted on standard tarmac surfaces between April – June 2025. All these artworks have not suffered any significant wear and tear. One artwork was vandalised and cleaned in summer 2025 using spray paint solvent and jet washing. Therefore, similar results were expected to be achieved on the standard tarmac surface at the Centre Promenade. The area was jet washed prior to painting. The paint is predicted to last for 3 – 5 years in an area with majority pedestrian movement.

To account for general wear and tear, accidental damage or vandalism, quotes for potential costs to cover differing repair eventualities were sourced from the installer and a full complement of paint colours were retained in storage to enable minor repairs and retouching.

PR13028 PRF Painting the Centre Promenade with Artwork

We are aiming to directly award this contract to deliver installation of public artwork for the centre promenade. A team of artists will paint the artwork according the specifications laid out by the lead artist. This contract will be directly awarded to Upfest Ltd due to an absence of competition. This spend is essential as we have important city stakeholders who have funded the artists' fees and public art producers' fees and we have developed the art with community engagement and we have publicly stated that we are going to install this artwork as part of the renovation works for the centre promenade and to meet the atonement of the Transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans. We have reduced the scope by not installing this project in thermoplastics (two quotes for this for 60k and 78k). It is not possible to delay any of this spend as we need to complete this renovation works within weather timeframes as the paint cannot be applied when the weather is cold. There is a reputational risk with the city centre business improvement district and the Bristol Legacy Foundation, key stakeholders and wider stakeholders and general community if this installation does not happen as we have promised this artwork to be installed. This contract is Revenue funded and within budget.

It is obviously impractical to run a competitive selection process, because The works, supplies or services are such that the essential requirements of the Council can only be met by a proprietary solution only available from a single supplier, because we have investigated thermoplastics as an option and they are too expensive to install, as well as investigating other suppliers that could put together a team of artists to paint however, they are based in London and didn't have availability and even if they did, accommodation costs would make these suppliers too expensive. Therefore, Upfest Ltd is the only affordable and appropriate supplier;

East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (EBLN)

A key justification for the materials used for "Common Ground" was that the same materials had been used for the EBLN Street Artwork.

But as you can see on the BCC website they have stated that:

The aspiration is that if the scheme is adopted permanently all the artwork will be re-installed in thermoplastic for longer term durability.

On Street Artwork

Does anyone else user Thermoplastic?

Formula For Living - Cotham School

The work is derived from a grid pattern we have used throughout our practice and has been made with the type of thermoplastic material used for road markings, playgrounds and sports courts.