A new University of Bristol campus has opened at the former site of a Royal Mail sorting office near Temple Meads station, marking a key step in the broader Bristol Temple Quarter regeneration project. Named the Sloane Robinson building, it was funded by a foundation established by Hugh Sloane, a former Bristol University student and hedge fund manager. The £500 million campus is designed to be "porous," meaning it includes many open areas accessible to the public. This is intended to help students and staff who cannot afford Bristol's high property and rental costs, as well as to support collaboration with businesses and research partners. The campus will serve as a hub for teaching and research in fields such as business, digital engineering, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies. It features a unique circular lecture theatre, which was recently demonstrated by an actor and voice coach from the Bristol Old Vic theatre during a visit by the Guardian. The university emphasizes that the campus is not just for academic use but also for the broader Bristol community. New entrances from the station to the campus have been created, along with new footpaths and cycleways, and public spaces like the Bristol Rooms and the Story Exchange on the ground floor aim to bring together academics, students, and local organizations. The main building of the campus cost £241 million, with £35 million coming from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and an additional £25 million for the station entrance and new paths. The university has also acquired nearby land for future expansion, bringing the total cost of the campus to £500 million. The wider Bristol Temple Quarter project is currently underway in the St Philip’s Marsh area, which is currently home to factories, waste sites, and Bristol’s fruit market. A bridge is planned to connect the campus to this area. The long-term project, expected to take 30 years to complete, aims to transform one of the city's most deprived neighborhoods by adding thousands of homes, workspaces, and health and education facilities. Helen Godwin, the mayor of the West of England, called the opening of the campus a major milestone for Bristol, stating that the investment in the Temple Quarter will lead to significant progress for the region. Martin Booth, editor of the local publication Bristol 24/7, remarked that the campus looked like a "gigantic spaceship" had crash-landed near the station, highlighting the university's efforts to become more integrated and visible within the city.