The building is named for the Fry family who donated land and funds to the university at its founding in 1909, when
Lewis Fry was Chairman of the College Council. On 6 January 2018, while £33 million building work was underway to convert it into a new mathematics department, the building caught fire.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service responded with a
turntable ladder and multiple
fire engines. A helicopter was used to illuminate the area. Staff and students of the School of Mathematics moved into the building in September 2019. ==Architecture==