Inside the city centre storage warehouse transformed into 3,000-capacity music venue

The owner of popular Bristol clubs Motion and The Marble Factory have launched a huge, new venue dedicated to the city’s creators and ‘experimental art and sound’.

Set inside an industrial unit, Document is a five minute walk away from Cabot Circus and gets its namesake from the facility’s former use for storing documents during the 90s. The document factory is tucked away on Pennywell Street in St Jude’s. Inside are five zones including a 3,000-capacity event space, 1,000 sq metre studios, a bar and breakout space, contemporary stripped-back bespoke offices, full gym and meeting rooms.

The space also aims to ‘transform working environments’ in Bristol with its five zones “all uniquely different - artists’ studios, workspaces and hot desks sit carefully alongside the exhibition space and expansive music venue. Redefining coworking, the venue will offer artists, freelancers and small businesses the opportunity to congregate, collaborate and become a part of Bristol’s vibrant creative community across the footprint of the building.”

Martin Page, who owns Motion Ltd , the parent company for the Motion and The Marble Factory clubs, explains how the Covid pandemic delayed the venue’s opening before it was used as a filming location by both the BBC and Netflix.

Mr Page said: “We took hold of the former AVIVA document storage warehouse in January 2019. We saw the opportunity to breathe life into a building that had laid empty for a decade in a key central Bristol location.

“My business partner and I started the task of populating its many halls and rooms with artists, professionals, and creatives. Covid saw us shut down the site with a skeleton crew where commercial projects from Netflix and the BBC helped us stay afloat.

“Fast forward to 2023, we’ve now filled all the studios and offices with creative types and local businesses. And now, with Motion and the Marble factory as our guide, we’re planning some shows for our large 3,000-capacity venue Facility and bespoke cocktail area Record.”

Document has already been used as space for popular Bristol event brand Alfresco Disco and its New Year’s Rave held at the venue. The site has ‘promised’ to host a season of live music and electronic events set to “make this former document storage space an iconic Bristol destination for cultural purveyors from around the country.”

“After the success of Alfresco Disco on NYE, we’ll be building on that with a curated music series of electronic and live music that index in the more immersive and visually stimulating,” Martin Page added.

“There’s a lot of positive energy behind Doucment and it’s the most exciting project we’ve worked on since launching the Marble Factory in 2016.”