Graffiti News

Full restoration depends on a winter trial

Our Common Ground, the damaged floor mural on Bristol’s Centre Promenade, is scheduled for full restoration in spring or summer 2027 if a trial of a replacement material succeeds. According to Bristol Post, Bristol City Council has chosen thermoplastics after the original paint failed. The proposed season is therefore a conditional timetable, rather than a confirmed date when visitors can expect to see the entire artwork restored.

The first phase involves cleaning, treating the surface and applying the material to a small area in September or October 2026. That section will remain through winter so its resistance to colder, wetter conditions can be assessed. Thermoplastics are used for road markings, including lane dividers and zebra crossings, and the report says they can last several years without maintenance. The trial will test their suitability for this particular artwork.

The update followed a question from Labour councillor Carole Johnson at a member forum meeting. Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Brown, chair of the economy and skills policy committee, said research after the paint’s failure had identified thermoplastics as a more durable and reliable option.

Early damage has pushed repairs back

The mural needed repainting only a month after its installation in September 2025, according to Bristol Post. The council subsequently estimated annual repainting and maintenance costs of £3,000 to £5,000, spending outside the original budget. Thermoplastics had initially been ruled out because of their cost, but have now become the council’s preferred alternative.

A repair timetable discussed in December 2025 pointed to spring 2026. The new proposal places complete reinstatement roughly a year later. The report does not give a new total price for the restoration, so the original installation budget and the annual maintenance estimate should not be read as the cost of the proposed work.

Brown described the project as inherited from the previous administration. Labour led the council for eight years before the Greens took control with Liberal Democrat support following the 2024 local elections. Criticism also came from within the current leadership: Bristol Post reports that Green deputy leader Heather Mack acknowledged feeling embarrassed and disappointed by the situation.

The artwork connects heritage with a public space

Our Common Ground was intended to celebrate African heritage, civic unity and local identity across 700 square metres of the Promenade. The council originally commissioned Upfest and artist Oshii to coordinate its painting. Bristol Post understands that Upfest is no longer involved, an important distinction between the original commission and the repair project.

The original artwork cost £61,000. The council contributed £31,000 towards installation, including materials, labour, production and health and safety equipment. The remaining £30,000 came from the City Centre Business Improvement District, funded through a levy on local businesses.

That £30,000 went to the Bristol Legacy Foundation for an artist’s fee, engagement activities, curation and production. In July 2026, the charity expressed sadness at the artwork’s deterioration and said it was working with the council towards a lasting repair. For people following public art, these separate contributions explain why the work involves more than the painted surface: the commission also included engagement and cultural production.

The former fountain site explains the setting

The place to locate the mural is the former fountain area on the Centre Promenade in Bristol. Its installation formed part of a broader redesign after the fountains were removed. That plan also included more room for the street food market, a different surface colour to make the cycle path more apparent to pedestrians, and replacement of trees that had outgrown concrete planters.

The fountains were installed in 2000, had been out of operation for several years and were judged beyond repair in 2022. The council announced their removal and the planned artwork in September 2024. The mural therefore belongs to a changing public space, with its cultural purpose alongside decisions about everyday use.

For a street-art visit, the distinction between a material trial and a completed restoration matters. A successful winter test is still required before the full design can be reinstated. Follow the work as a ground-level artwork within the Promenade’s wider layout, and use Wallscape’s map to explore other nearby works.

Source: Bristol Post