Tall buildings
People think of Leeds as a down-to-earth,
No-nonsense sort of place, with a famous accent, a strong industrial tradition and many grand buildings from the past.
But modern architecture has taken Leeds into a new dimension: Tall buildings, superbly designed shopping centres, a tower called 'the Dalek' with strange wing-like structures on the street in front of it and an intriguing spinning 'poem-machine' artwork. Welcome to Leeds, city of the future. I took this panorama in 2005 from the A62
Today seen from the M621, there are cranes and new tall buildings. One has a flashing white light that seems to welcome visitors, but what message is it sending out? Just near the bus station there's a shopping centre but the exterior is not what you'd expect on a typical British high street. Intricate architectural forms in gingerbread shades, diamond shapes as white as icing sugar, inlaid with glass and gold. On the inside, a tall refined space under a glass roof that seems to float above us, letting the sunlight fall onto the smooth, shiny floor.
This is Victoria Gate, with wide walkways, laid out on a u-shaped plan dominated by the glass canopy. Even the way to the toilets looks five-star with its use of wood. Those things hanging down could be Christmas baubles and with its sumptuous design, it seems like it's Christmas every day at Victoria Gate. This development went through many stages, iterations and architects before it finally opened in October 2016. It was designed by ACME, an architectural practice founded by German architect Friedrich Ludewig who studied in Berlin. It's part of the Victoria Leeds shopping district and it echoes the Victorian arcades nearby. That magnificent façade looks captivating from every angle by day and by night. This and other new construction projects have helped to push Leeds city centre into the top 5 shopping destinations in the country.
Let's have a look at some more. Just across St Peter's Street from Victoria Gate is the Leeds Playhouse. Originally designed by the Appleton Partnership, it first opened as the Yorkshire Playhouse in 1990. After some years, a revamp was needed. Architects Page\Park created a new façade and entrance, which turned the building round to face the city. The simple use of brightly coloured ceramic shapes transforms the frontage into an abstract work of art. The windows in between allow us to peep inside this busy, multi-functional arts complex. I love how the letters are balanced at the top of the columns in Bauhaus style.
Just a splash of colour on the outside makes a welcome change from those bland beige office developments. The ceramic pieces remind me of the coloured crayons I used as a child. Here, they symbolise art, drama, music and creativity. They look early 60s, but this superb piece of architecture was created in 2019. Our next architectural creation is Quarry Hill, an office complex, completed in 1993 to house the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions. And as we can see, new buildings are under construction which will partly obscure the façade at the front. Locally, it's been nicknamed 'The Kremlin' due to its massive size. The style is postmodern.
It has dramatic architectural features, like these pillars and archways and what looks like a technologically advanced lightning conductor on the roof. Or maybe it's a docking station for Zeppelins. It looks like something out of the silent movie Metropolis.
The design has been ridiculed but I
Think it's great.
At least the architects made an effort! What surprised me were these reliefs on the front of the building. I've not been able to find out the name of the artist, please comment if you know. They depict parenthood, specifically motherhood. The figures look biblical.
They symbolise the people these government departments are supposed to help. All office buildings should have works of art outside them. Actually, quite a few do. Due to the massive scale of the building, your eyes are drawn up to the roof, though this is not a skyscraper. It has 9 floors and is 28 metres high. It's epic, dramatic, cinematic. I've noticed it many times driving along the A64, it's a real head-turner, futuristic in the style of the 20s, built in the style of the 80s. It has a strong similarity with the MI6 building on the Thames in London, designed by Sir Terry Farrell.
It turns out he did the masterplan for Quarry Hill and the project architects were BDP. That information was not readily available, I had to dig for it. It looks like a power station but as for any similarity to the seat of absolute power in a certain former Communist capital, personally I can't see it. Looking south west from Quarry Hill past Leeds Minster we see our next futuristic building. People like to name buildings after objects, for example in London, a vegetable, a large piece of broken glass, a mobile communication device. This building has been named after a pitiless extraterrestrial cyborg, star of the BBC's Doctor Who. Bridgewater Place, aka the Dalek, was designed by internationally renowned Aedas architects and built between 2004-2007. It's 110 metres high - just above the unofficial skyscraper minimum of 100m - and it has 32 storeys, 2 for parking, 10 for offices and 20 containing 200 apartments.
In 2008 it was shortlisted for the Carbuncle Cup. On the BBC Leeds page, one commenter said it was, quote, "an awful building with absolutely no character, a monstrosity that spoils the skyline." Another said it was, quote, "a striking design and an iconic landmark for Leeds.". What I'd like to know is, did the architects intentionally design it to look like a Dalek, or was it just a coincidence? From the time it was constructed until 2021 it was the tallest building in Yorkshire. We'll look at the new tallest later. With its metallic façade, rounded forms and machine-like profile, it certainly looks extra-terrestrial. And what about these wing-like structures in front of the building that look like something off an aircraft or spaceship? They were put there to combat strong winds that appeared around the building, causing vehicles to topple over. One person was tragically killed. The 'wings' have tiny holes in them that break up the airflow and reduce the effect.
It's not the only tall building to display this phenomenon, but why can't the architects predict it? I think Bridgewater Place is great, it's high tech, futuristic, instantly recognisable, a brave new landmark rising up from the 19th century stone and redbrick industrial buildings, now mostly refurbished.
For this article I photographed it through 180 degrees, looking from the west. Bridgewater Place looks different from every angle and it's remarkable how thin it looks when looking from the north. It resembles one of those pencil-thin skyscrapers next to Central Park in New York. Sitting above the River Aire is this interesting structure, supported on two large concrete piers.
Now, if you don't know what it
Is, i'd like you to guess.
What is it? With its gold surfaces
And large windows, it could be a bar, with a cafe downstairs and a private area upstairs for weddings.
Or maybe not, it's a bit small for that.
Could it be a control centre for the river? It looks like a huge glass eye, or maybe a motion-detecting alarm or possibly a rear light from a gigantic American car. It's accessed by two small footbridges on either side, so it can't be intended for use by lots of people, can it? Actually, it's the new south entrance to Leeds Station. Inside there are two lifts, four escalators and stairs. It was designed by AHR Architects and opened on the 4th of January, 2016. Next is Candle House, on Granary Wharf, where the Leeds and Liverpool Canal starts and just next to Leeds Central Railway Station. It's like the leaning tower of Pisa straightened up or one of the round towers in Ireland. It's moderately tall, 69 metres, 23 floors, all apartments. It twists as it rises.
You can imagine each four-floor section spinning round like a combination lock. The apartments have an inset balcony and there's a wood-floored rooftop area with truly panoramic views. I'd love to go up there! Candle House was designed by caryjones and built between 2007 and 2009. Its brick and stone building materials echo the past, but its shape is a taste of the future. Why aren't there more round buildings? It seems an obvious shape to use and makes floor plans more interesting. It fits nicely into the changing daylight as the sun moves across the sky. And with windows on all sides through 360 degrees, the views are truly panoramic. I think the future is round.
Now we go into the central shopping district to look at the Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre. Developed by Land Securities and designed by Chapman Taylor, it opened on the 21st of March 2013. There's space for over 20 stores and it's said to have created over 3000 jobs. There's a cinema and a very nice food area named Trinity Kitchen, also a packhorse sculpture by. Andy Scott. Most captivating for me is the vast, gravity-defying glass roof, with a view of the sky and the tower of the eighteenth century Holy Trinity Church. The roof was created by EMBT, the architectural practice of the late Enric Miralles from Barcelona. There is a stark contrast with Manchester's Arndale Centre, which until it was renovated, had no windows to the sky.
One half of Market Street was destroyed as well as the old Market Place to make way for that oversized beige nightmare, which today is much improved. In Leeds they did things differently. Trinity Leeds is defined by its stunning glass roof, like an Eden Project in the city or maybe the glass bubble of a space base with a view of the stars. Oh, and the glass roof is not sealed. It's open at the corners, allowing fresh air in and out. The shops stay open till 8pm. Well, walk up to another part of the city centre that's seen new development in recent years. Along Merrion Way there's a row of tall white buildings, new and refurbished, all but one devoted to student accommodation.
Altus house was designed by Manchester-based.
O'Connell East.
In late 2020 it became the tallest building in Leeds. It appears taller as it's built on higher ground. 114.3 metres from street to roof level, 38 floors, built between 2019 and 2021. This is the building with the white flashing lights on the top. This Google Earth view shows the area around 2019 at the beginning of construction. Next to it is the office building Arena Point, originally dating from 1967, renovated 2015, 76.8 metres.
Then it's White Rose View 1 and 2, 79 and 52 metres, both completed in 2020, designed by Rio Architects. Our penultimate building looks especially futuristic. It's the First Direct Arena, designed by Populous who also did the new Co-op Arena in Manchester. The First Direct Arena is groundbreaking in its interior design and layout, and its organic-geometric exterior looks very science fiction, especially at night. Our final building is Broadcasting Tower, by Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects built 2007-2009. It won the skyscraper award for Best Tall Building, Europe and Worldwide, 2010. It stands on the site of the former BBC studios Woodhouse Lane and is 69 metres tall, with 23 floors. It has a rusted steel exterior.
It's currently the home of my daughter, who is studying Computer Game Art at Leeds Beckett University. This is the view from the 20th floor. We are looking out over the university district. My only criticism of Broadcasting Tower is that it has no windows to the south or the north. Views are not fully panoramic, you can't see the city centre. The building is designed to be student-safe. There are no balconies, windows are sealed, with just air vents too small to crawl through. From up here, the city looks captivating, especially at dusk.
It's like living on a plane caught on final approach. I could gaze out at the view all evening. It's great up here. Who'd want to live anywhere else than 20 floors up? Let's return to the ground and take a look at the artwork named Converse Column, by British-American artist Liliane Lijn. It's a totemic nine metre-high revolving 'poem machine' that looks great after dark. The area around here is unique as virtually everything is relatively new - buildings, roads, bridges, the A64(M) motorway, It's a vision of the quintessentially modern city, like we used to imagine cities of the future would be. We'll take a final look at Altus House, tallest in Leeds, with White Rose 1 and 2 in front. Unlike an office building, all the lights are on, because it's occupied, it's a student residence.
And to me, it's like something out of the anime movie Akira. Those flashing lights are sending out a message in weird, alien languages. The lights can be seen down the M621 and as far away as the Andromeda Galaxy, well, as far away as Batley. And the message is: Willkommen in Leeds, Stadt der Zukunft - Welcome to Leeds, city of the future. So, I trust you found this article interesting and hopefully inspiring.