Architecture of Leeds - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The architecture of Leeds, a city and metropolitan borough

Metropolitan borough

A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...

in West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, encompasses a wide range of architectural styles and notable buildings. As with most northern industrial centres, much of Leeds

Leeds

Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

' prominent architecture is of the Victorian

Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

era. However, the City of Leeds

City of Leeds

The City of Leeds is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Leeds City Council, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. The metropolitan district includes Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Garforth, Guiseley, Horsforth, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, Rothwell,...

also contains buildings from as early as the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

such as Kirkstall Abbey

Kirkstall Abbey

Kirkstall Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery in Kirkstall north-west of Leeds city centre in West Yorkshire. It is set in a public park on the north bank of the River Aire. It was founded c.1152. It was disestablished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under the auspices of Henry...

, one of Britain's best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries, as well as examples of 20th century industrial architecture, particularly in the districts of Hunslet

Hunslet

Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co...

and Holbeck

Holbeck

Holbeck is a district in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.The district begins on the southern edge of the Leeds city centre and mainly lies in the LS11 Leeds postcode area. The M1 and M621 motorways used to end/begin in Holbeck. Now the M621 is the only motorway that passes through the area since...

.

Most of the current buildings in Leeds are the product of the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

and post war regeneration in the 20th century, as many new buildings were provided in the city's commuter town

Commuter town

A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...

s and villages to house the increasing suburban population. Leeds city centre

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...

is currently undergoing much redevelopment, with a number of skyscraper

Skyscraper

A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...

s such as Bridgewater Place

Bridgewater Place

Bridgewater Place, nicknamed The Dalek, is an office and residential skyscraper development in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is the tallest building in Yorkshire, and has held this record since being topped out in September 2005...

. Many buildings in Leeds have won awards for their architecture: examples are the renovation projects for the Corn Exchange

Leeds Corn Exchange

The Leeds Corn Exchange is a Victorian building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and completed in 1864...

and the Henry Moore Institute

Henry Moore

Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....

, which have won RIBA awards.

Pre 1600

The earliest evidence of civilisation in the area of Leeds is at Seacroft

Seacroft

Seacroft is an outer-city suburb consisting mainly of council estate housing covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre and lies in the LS14 Leeds postcode area....

and dates to 3500 BC. The oldest existent man-made structure in the Leeds metropolitan district is the earthworks of the Iron Age

Iron Age

The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

fort at Barwick in Elmet.
Leeds is thought to have been the site of the Roman town of Cambodunum, abandoned when the Romans left Britain in around 400 AD. The first church in Leeds is thought to have been built around 600 AD.

Leeds, like many industrial cities, has little remaining medieval architecture. The lack of Medieval architecture in central Leeds may be attributed to the small size of the town during the majority of the period, the population usually being around 1,000. At the time there were several larger settlements in Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

such as Wakefield

Wakefield

Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....

and York

York

York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

.

The Church of St John the Baptist at Adel

Adel, Leeds

Adel is a suburb in North Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Cookridge, Holt Park, Weetwood and Alwoodley. To the north are the villages of Arthington and Bramhope and the market town of Otley...

is one of the earliest remaining buildings in Leeds. It was built between 1150 and 1170. It has been described as "one of the best and most complete Norman village churches in Yorkshire".

Kirkstall Abbey

is the most noteworthy piece of architecture from this period in Leeds. The abbey, which is a Cistercian foundation, was begun on the banks of the River Aire

River Aire

The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England of length . Part of the river is canalised, and is known as the Aire and Calder Navigation....

in 1152. The abbey was disbanded and the buildings ruined during the Dissolution of the Monasteries

Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...

under Henry VIII

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...

. Although Cistercian abbeys were numerous in England, many were located in remote areas and, unlike several Benedictine and Augustian abbeys, did not survive the Dissolution by being reused as parish churches. At Kirkstall Abbey, the ruins are particularly well preserved and show an austere form of Norman architecture

Norman architecture

About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...

with some later Gothic

English Gothic architecture

English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...

additions and embellishments. The remnants of most of the monastic buildings are sufficiently intact to display the domestic arrangement and function of the monastery. The Abbey House Museum

Abbey House Museum

Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England is housed in the gatehouse of the ruined Kirkstall Abbey, a grade II* listed building....

keeps records and displays artefacts from the abbey as well as from other eras across Leeds. Paintings of the Abbey have come from artists as renowned as J. M. W. Turner

J. M. W. Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...

and Thomas Girtin

Thomas Girtin

Thomas Girtin was an English painter and etcher. A friend and rival of J. M. W. Turner, Girtin played a key role in establishing watercolour as a reputable art form.-Biography:...

. In 1889 the abbey was purchased by Colonel John North and presented to Leeds City Council

Leeds City Council

Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...

. The council restored parts of the abbey and made it safe for public enjoyment before opening it in 1895.

Although central Leeds has few buildings from the Middle Ages, there are examples within the City of Leeds boundaries, including two at Wetherby. Wetherby Bridge dates from the Medieval period, but has been considerably altered, the pointed Gothic arches of different heights being replaced by semi-circular arches. It is said that the Bishop of York granted absolution of sins to local residents in return for building the bridge.

The building of a castle was commenced in Wetherby

Wetherby

Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...

in 1140, but it was demolished in 1155, because it was the King had not granted permission for its construction. The remains of its foundations can still be seen, and it is remembered in the street name "Castle Gate".
Harewood Castle

Harewood Castle

Harewood Castle is a 12th-century stone hall house and courtyard fortress, located on the Harewood Estate, Harewood, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England . Harewood Castle is a grade I listed building.-History:...

is a 14th century stone hall house and courtyard fortress, in the grounds of Harewood House

Harewood House

Harewood House is a country house located in Harewood , near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a member of Treasure Houses of England, a marketing consortium for nine of the foremost stately homes in England...

. It is a Grade I listed and is currently undergoing conservation.

1600 to 1800

By Tudor

Tudor dynasty

The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...

times, Leeds had become a market town of about 3,000 people, which grew to about 6,000 by the mid-17th century, however successive redevelopments of the city centre in the following centuries have destroyed almost all visible evidence of this period. The earliest building remaining in the city centre is a late 16th or early 17th century house in Lambert's Yard, off Briggate

Briggate

Briggate is one of the pedestrianised principal shopping streets in central Leeds, England. Most of Leeds' department stores are on Briggate, including the Harvey Nichols branch. It is home to a number of major high street retailers as well as banks, restaurants and cafes. Recently there have been...

. It is a timber framed building with a gable and three jettied

Jettying

Jettying is a building technique used in medieval timber frame buildings in which an upper floor projects beyond the dimensions of the floor below. This has the advantage of increasing the available space in the building without obstructing the street...

storeys, "possibly the cross-wing of a larger hall house". It is in a state of disrepair and is not generally accessible to the public.

The church of St John the Evangelist

St John the Evangelist's Church, Leeds

St John the Evangelist's Church, Leeds, is a redundant Anglican church in the centre of the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...

, New Briggate, is the oldest church in central Leeds, consecrated in 1634. It was founded by John Harrison

John Harrison (Leeds)

John Harrison was a prominent inhabitant of Leeds, in Yorkshire, England, in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, variously as one of the early woollen cloth merchants, and as a benefactor of the town.-Commercial and municipal life:...

. It is described as "something of an architectural rarity: a virtually intact 17th century church". In 1865 there were plans to demolish it, but Norman Shaw

Richard Norman Shaw

Richard Norman Shaw RA , was an influential Scottish architect from the 1870s to the 1900s, known for his country houses and for commercial buildings.-Life:...

came to its defence and argued successfully for its restoration. Its interior is unusual in having two naves, and it has a large amount of Jacobean woodwork. It is no longer used for regular services but is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust

Churches Conservation Trust

The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...

and is regularly open for visitors and also used for occasional public events.

A major example of 18th century architecture lies just outside the city (although within the City of Leeds

City of Leeds

boundaries) in the Grade I listed Harewood House

Harewood House

. This was built between 1759 and 1771 and funded from the proceeds of the West Indian Slave Trade.
The architect was John Carr of York, with extensions by Robert Adam

Robert Adam

Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...

who also designed the interiors.

The opening of a trade hall in Wetherby

Wetherby

in 1710 brought about further industrial development, most of this was still on a small scale until the 19th century, but Leeds like Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

began to show growing industrialisation before many other towns and cities across the industrial belts of Yorkshire

Yorkshire

and Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

did, providing Leeds with a few rare examples of industry from before the period that is generally accepted as the beginning of the industrial revolution (late 18th century) had begun.

Armley Mills was built in 1788 and is currently the largest woollen mill museum. There are several examples of industrial architecture from the latter part of this era in Holbeck

Holbeck

, Hunslet

Hunslet

, Armley

Armley

Armley is a district in the west of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It starts less than a mile from Leeds city centre. Like much of Leeds, Armley grew in the industrial revolution and had several mills, one of which is now the Armley Mills museum...

and areas surrounding Leeds city centre

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...

.

The main infirmary was originally on Infirmary Street (near City Square

Leeds City Square

City Square is a paved open area in Leeds city centre in West Yorkshire, England.In 1897, the Leeds city council of the time wanted to improve the open space near to the Post Office and in 1899 work was completed. The city square was enhanced with the erection of statues, the grandest being the...

and Quebec Street). Designed by John Carr, it was built in 1768-1771 and demolished in 1893 to make way for the Yorkshire Penny Bank.

Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church, Leeds

Holy Trinity Church , in Leeds, West Yorkshire, is a Church of England Parish Church in the Parish of Leeds City in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds. It was built in 1722–7, but the steeple dates from 1839...

on Boar Lane was constructed between 1721 and 1727, built to a design by William Etty

William Etty (architect)

William Etty was an English architect and craftsman, best known for designing Holy Trinity Church, Leeds and Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland.-Life and work:...

. It is a Grade I listed building. The building has not changed much (although a new steeple

Steeple (architecture)

A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...

was built in 1839 by R D Chantrell), but developments such as the Burton Arcade and the Leeds Shopping Plaza

Leeds Shopping Plaza

The Leeds Shopping Plaza is a shopping centre in Leeds, England surrounded by the streets of Bond Street, Albion Street, Boar Lane and Lower Basinghall Street...

have been built so close that it is difficult to see the full exterior of the building as was once possible.

In 2007 it was reported in the Yorkshire Evening Post
Yorkshire Evening Post
The Yorkshire Evening Post is a daily evening publication published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...

that the remains of a 17th century cottage in Alwoodley

Alwoodley

Alwoodley is a civil parish and suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is north of central Leeds. The name Alwoodley is said to be a corruption of 'Aethelwaldley', as it was originally known in the Middle Ages, meaning the woodland clearing , at Aethelwald's farm...

had been demolished after controversial approval from Leeds City Council

Leeds City Council

Nineteenth century

It was in the 19th century that Leeds began to grow into one of Britain's largest cities. This led to widespread building across the city. Leeds' wool and cloth trades resulted in the building of many industrial buildings during this era. The resulting workforce which migrated to the city from rural areas brought about the building of many houses. Leeds has perhaps the most surviving examples of back-to-back

Back-to-back houses

Usually of low quality and high density, they were built for working class people and because three of the four walls of the house were shared with other buildings and therefore contained no doors or windows, back-to-back houses were notoriously ill-lit and poorly ventilated and sanitation was of...

terrace housing in the UK, particularly in Holbeck

Holbeck

and Harehills

Harehills

Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north east of Leeds city centre. Harehills is situated between the A58 and the A64 .- Overview :...

.

"Headingley Castle", originally known as The Elms, was built between 1843 and 1846 by the local architect John Child for the corm merchant Thomas England. While the exterior is Victorian Gothic in style, the architect employed modern building techniques and materials including cast iron

Cast iron

Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...

in its construction.

Leeds city centre

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...

has many examples from this era, such as Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...

, the Leeds Kirkgate Market

Leeds Kirkgate Market

Leeds Kirkgate Market is a market in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England located on Vicar Lane. It is the largest covered market in Europe. There are currently 800 stalls which attract over 100,000 visitors a week.-History:...

, the Hotel Metropole

Hotel Metropole

The Met Hotel, Leeds The Met Hotel, Leeds The Met Hotel, Leeds (formerly the Hotel Metropole is a Grade II listed building situated on King Street in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1898 as the Hotel Metropole, and underwent a £6 million renovation in 2005 under new owner the...

, the Leeds City Varieties

Leeds City Varieties

The Leeds City Varieties is a Grade II* listed music hall in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.It was built in 1865 as an adjunct to the White Swan Inn in Swan Street and the original interior is largely unaltered. Along with Hoxton Hall and Wilton's Music Hall , it is a rare surviving example of the...

, the Central Post Office, Calls Landings and the Corn Exchange

Leeds Corn Exchange

The Leeds Corn Exchange is a Victorian building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and completed in 1864...

to name a few.

Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...

(pictured top) was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick

Cuthbert Brodrick

Cuthbert Brodrick FRIBA was a British architect, whose most famous building is Leeds Town Hall.- Early life :...

and was opened by Queen Victoria in 1858.
The Hotel Metropole

Hotel Metropole

was built in the 1890s and was inspired by French architecture of the time. The Leeds Corn Exchange

Leeds Corn Exchange

The Leeds Corn Exchange is a Victorian building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and completed in 1864...

was also designed by Cuthbert Brodrick

Cuthbert Brodrick

Cuthbert Brodrick FRIBA was a British architect, whose most famous building is Leeds Town Hall.- Early life :...

and was built between 1861 and 1864. The building lay derelict for many years until 1985 when it was converted into a shopping centre.
Harehills

Harehills

Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north east of Leeds city centre. Harehills is situated between the A58 and the A64 .- Overview :...

, Burley

Burley, Leeds

Burley is a suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, characterised by the red brick terraced housing, much of which was built in the period 1899 - 1903 and green spaces. Sometimes called 'The Cardigan Triangle , it stretches north from the main Kirkstall Road, towards Hyde Park and...

, Holbeck

Holbeck

, Chapeltown

Chapeltown, West Yorkshire

Chapeltown is a suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British African-Caribbean community. It is approximately one mile north of Leeds city centre...

, Woodhouse

Woodhouse, Leeds

Woodhouse is a largely residential area just north of the city centre of Leeds and home to the University of Leeds. It is in the Hyde Park and Woodhouse ward of City of Leeds metropolitan district. It was described in 1853 as a "large and handsome village"...

and East End Park

East End Park, Leeds

East End Park is an inner city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Burmantofts to the north west, Harehills to the north east , Halton Moor to the east, Richmond Hill to the west and Cross Green to the south west...

contain many houses from this era, while Cross Gates has a 120 feet (36.6 m) column guided gasholder from this era.

The 19th century saw the construction of most of Leeds' railway infrastructure, including architecturally notable viaduct

Viaduct

A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...

s in Holbeck

Holbeck

and Leeds city centre

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...

. None of the major railway stations from this era have survived, in fact most of Leeds railway station was rebuilt as recently as 2002.

As well as industrial architecture Hunslet

Hunslet

has a history for some notable churches. The main steeple

Steeple (architecture)

on Church Lane was once part of a large church. All but the steeple were demolished in the 1970s and a smaller church building attached. Meadow Lane in Hunslet was also home to Christ Church, an architecturally notable Gothic

Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....

church, which has since been demolished.

Leeds Parish Church

Leeds Parish Church

Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...

was constructed in 1841 and at 115 feet (35.1 m) tall it held the record as Leeds' tallest building until the building of the town hall

Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...

in 1858.

Housing

Leeds' growth in the 19th century led to mass migration to the city; this resulted in many areas of the city becoming overcrowded and many new houses being built. The industrial revolution led to the increase in both working and middle classes, leading to the building of many new houses, aimed at both classes. The most common form of housing to be built for the working classes was the 'back to back

Back-to-back houses

'. Back to back terrace houses were built in the largely working class districts of Harehills

Harehills

Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north east of Leeds city centre. Harehills is situated between the A58 and the A64 .- Overview :...

, Holbeck

Holbeck

, Hunslet

Hunslet

, Beeston

Beeston, Leeds

Beeston is a suburb Leeds, West Yorkshire, England located about 2 miles south of the city centre. The area is separated from surrounding areas to the north, east and west by the M621 motorway....

and Armley

Armley

, whilst larger through terrace houses were built for the middle classes in Headingley

Headingley

Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road...

and Kirkstall

Kirkstall

Kirkstall is a suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, on the eastern side of the River Aire. To the west is Bramley, to the east is Headingley and to the north is West Park. Kirkstall is around from the city centre and is close to the University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan...

. Chapeltown developed as an affluent district of Leeds, and boasts many large Victorian villas, however the popularity of outer suburbs such as Roundhay

Roundhay

Roundhay is a large suburb and City Council ward of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, largely within the LS8 postcode. The ward boundary is the A6120 ring road on the north and the A58 Wetherby Road on the south and east. The boundary follows Gledhow Valley Road to the west before heading...

towards the late 20th century brought land values down in Chapeltown and the area fell into decline.

In 1830 the cost of building a small back to back house in Leeds was between seventy and eighty pounds. The average weekly rent was between two and four shillings (around a fifth of the average wages at the time).

Twentieth century

Leeds has a wide variety of buildings from this era. Chapel Allerton

Chapel Allerton

Chapel Allerton is an inner suburb of north-east Leeds, from the city centre, West Yorkshire, England. The Chapel Allerton electoral ward includes areas otherwise referred to as Chapeltown and Potternewton - the suburb is generally considered to be only the northern part of this...

has many art deco

Art Deco

Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...

semi detached houses from the 1930s while large parts of the city centre contain many commercial buildings from this era. Seacroft

Seacroft

has many examples of 20th century residential architecture.

Early era

For the first decade of the 20th century many areas of Leeds saw a continuation of Victorian style architecture, particularly in areas like Beeston

Beeston, Leeds

Beeston is a suburb Leeds, West Yorkshire, England located about 2 miles south of the city centre. The area is separated from surrounding areas to the north, east and west by the M621 motorway....

.

The Hyde Park Picture House

Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds

thumb|rightHyde Park Picture House in the Hyde Park area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, was originally built as a hotel in 1908 and converted to a cinema in 1914...

, Hyde Park

Hyde Park, Leeds

Hyde Park is an inner-city area of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between the University of Leeds and Headingley.It is mainly in the Hyde Park & Woodhouse ward, though some areas of what is often considered to be Hyde Park lie within the Headingley Ward . The boundary is...

was originally built in 1908 as a hotel

Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

and in 1914 it was converted into a picture house. The cinema has gas lighting, the original organ

Organ (music)

The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...

and piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

. It is a grade II listed building and one of the few surviving picture palaces in the UK. The picture house is regarded by many to be one of the finest examples of Edwardian architecture

Edwardian architecture

Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to 1914....

in Leeds.

Art deco

Chapel Allerton

and to a lesser extent Headingley

Headingley

Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road...

boast many art deco

Art Deco

houses. Parts of the Leeds General Infirmary

Leeds General Infirmary

Leeds General Infirmary, also known as the LGI or, more correctly, The General Infirmary at Leeds, is a large teaching hospital based in the centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England and is part of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust....

were built in art deco styles. Chapel Allerton also boasted the former Dominion Cinema, which was built in art deco style, however this was demolished in the 1950s.

1920s and 1930s

Leeds Civic Hall

Leeds Civic Hall is a civic building housing Leeds City Council, located in Millennium Square, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The design was the result of a competition held in 1926, which was won by Vincent Harris...

was designed by E. Vincent Harris in 1926 and built between 1931 and 1933 to provide the unemployed with work during the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

. The Quarry Hill

Quarry Hill, Leeds

Quarry Hill is an area of central Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is surrounded by the Leeds Inner Ring Road to the east and north. The Leeds - York / Hull railway runs just south of the district into the city centre...

Flats were completed in 1938 and were architecturally notable, and provided the backdrop for Yorkshire Television

Yorkshire Television

Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...

sitcom, Queenie's Castle
Queenie's Castle
Queenie's Castle is a British sitcom set in early 1970s Leeds, West Yorkshire that aired on ITV from 1970 to 1972. The series featured popular British actress Diana Dors.- Plot :...

. They are regarded to be the first council flats of their kind when constructed under the Director of Housing RAH Livett. They were demolished throughout the 1980s. The flats were based on the Karl Marx-Hof in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

.

The Queens Hotel

Queens Hotel (Leeds)

Queens Hotel is a hotel owned by Quintessential Hotels, located on Leeds City Square in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.It is an elegant Art Deco Grade II listed building. It was constructed in 1937 by architects W.Curtis Green and W.H. Hamlyn for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway...

on City Square

Leeds City Square

was constructed in 1937.

The following year, Shaftesbury House, a large five storey brick hostel for working men and woman opened. It was designed in 1936 by George C. Robb, assistant to RAH Livett, and after its closure, was converted in 2006-7 to the sustainable Green House.

Brutalism

Leeds has limited examples of Brutalism

Brutalist architecture

Brutalist architecture is a style of architecture which flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s, spawned from the modernist architectural movement.-The term "brutalism":...

, onesuch being the Leeds International Swimming Pool (designed by disgraced architect John Poulson

John Poulson

John Garlick Llewellyn Poulson was a British architect and businessman who caused a major political scandal when his use of bribery was disclosed in 1972. The highest-ranking figure to be forced out was Conservative Home Secretary Reginald Maudling...

). until the commencement of its demolition in Autumn 2009, following its closure in October 2007. The Leeds International Pool was not without its design flaws, the pool size was miscalculated and was less than an inch too narrow to qualify for Olympic Standard meaning that it never held the competitions the council had hoped for and it spent much of the 1960s closed while problems with its construction were rectified.

Parts of the Merrion Centre have brutalist undertones, particularly around the office blocks constructed as part of it and the former outdoor escalators to the rear.

Hunslet Grange Flats (more commonly known as the Leek Street Flats) displayed brutalism. They replaced run down back to back houses. It is unusual that Leek Street was chosen as their informal name as they replaced many other streets, including longer streets such as Alton Street. The flats were popular at first; however, they were so poorly designed and constructed that in 1983 they were demolished only thirteen years after being constructed. Smaller shops on the site had been demolished even earlier.

For a picture of the flats see the Leodis Database:(picture in 1975) and a (picture in 1973).

Often unseen parts of the University of Leeds

University of Leeds

The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...

display elements of brutalism, with large areas of exposed concrete. From the A660

A660 road

The A660 is a major road in West Yorkshire, England that runs from Leeds to Burley-in-Wharfedale where it meets the A65. The A660 is approximately long, and crosses the watershed from Airedale to lower Wharfedale...

however, only older parts of the university are visible. To view these parts of the university it is necessary to walk through the main campus.

1960s to 1980s

Many areas of Leeds such as Seacroft

Seacroft

were almost entirely built in this era. There are many high rise council flats in Leeds as well as office buildings such as West Riding House

West Riding House

West Riding House is an and 20 storey tall office building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England which was completed in 1973. It was the tallest building in the city until 2005 with the topping out of Bridgewater Place. There are retail units on the ground floor of the building as it is located in the...

. Many Victorian slums were demolished during this era and replaced with council housing. There was also widespread private residential developments. Holt Park

Holt Park

Holt Park is a medium-sized low-rise 1970s housing estate in the northwest suburbs of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately from the Leeds city centre situated between Tinshill, Cookridge and Adel, and is at the edge of the Leeds metropolitan urban fringe, bordering the green belt...

was a joint effort between the Leeds City Council

Leeds City Council

and Norman Ashton. There were many Ashtons

Ashtons

Ashtons were a leading British house builder.-History:The Company was founded by Norman Ashton. The Company constructed many homes in the North of England during the 1960s and 1970s. Ashtons were one of several pioneers of the british three bed semi, a style of house used frequently from the...

homes built during this time, particularly in Holt Park and Wetherby

Wetherby

.

West Riding House

West Riding House

was completed in 1973 and was the tallest building in Leeds until the completion of Bridgewater Place

Bridgewater Place

in 2007. In 2008 it was knocked into third position with the opening of Opal Tower.

The Inner Ring Road

Leeds Inner Ring Road

The Leeds Inner Ring Road is part-motorway and part-A roads in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which forms a ring road around the city centre. It has six different road numbers that are all sections of longer roads...

was constructed over the course of the 1960s. This was the most ambitious scheme of its kind in the UK with Leeds City Council subsequently promoting the city with the slogan Motorway City of the Seventies. The works involved the construction of many flyovers and tunnels and the Motorway construction is notable in itself.

Another council plan during the 1960s was to separate pedestrians and traffic, and it was proposed that any new buildings in City Square

Leeds City Square

would be built with an overhead walkway — this never came to fruition, with only a short section ever being built.

The growth of the financial and business services sector from the mid 1980s onwards resulted in a boom in office developments in the city centre. Many of the buildings constructed at this time are in the style known as the "Leeds Look", which is typified by the use of dark red brickwork and steeply pitched grey slate roofs.

1990s

The 1990s saw further residential development, such as that around Colton

Colton, Leeds

Colton is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated between Cross Gates to the north, Halton and Halton Moor to the west, Whitkirk to the north-west and Austhorpe to the north-east...

. Schofields Department Store was demolished and replaced by the Schofield Centre (later the Headrow Centre and now The Core) and the White Rose Centre

White Rose Centre

The White Rose Centre is a shopping centre in the Churwell area of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It spans two floors and is linked to the M621 motorway. It takes its name from the White Rose of York, the traditional symbol of Yorkshire. The Upper Level houses the Centre's 'Upper...

was constructed. The 1990s also saw Tesco redevelop Seacroft

Seacroft

town centre, which had previously been architecturally notable for 1960s architecture.

Quarry House was constructed on the site of the former Quarry Hill Flats (see 1920s and 1930s) at Quarry Hill

Quarry Hill, Leeds

. The building houses the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...

and is their main regional offices. The building is controversial. Its imposing design has often been regarded as being domineering and self important and has led the building to be nicknamed The Kremlin and The Ministry of Truth.

Housing

As in much of the UK, Leeds' housing stock had fallen into disrepair by the middle of the 20th century. The city was overcrowded, and the Victorian terraces were unsuitable for modern inhabitation. Leeds had one of the most Labour

Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

orientated councils and in the 1930s pledged to replace 30,000 slums.
The older houses relied mainly on heating from open coal fires, which lead to problems with smog (in 1962, 24 deaths in Leeds were attributed to this), although this problem was partially relieved in the 1950s with the introduction of the Clean Air Act 1956

Clean Air Act 1956

The Clean Air Act 1956 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in response to London's Great Smog of 1952. It was in effect until 1964, and sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in England and the Department of Health for Scotland.The Act introduced a number of...

. Although a slum clearance scheme was under way in the 1930s, it took until after the Second World War, for the scheme to get well under way. In the 1950s, the largest social housing project began with the building of the Seacroft Estate. Seacroft was planned at the time to be a 'Satellite town within the city limits'. The building of new council estates was most prevalent in the city's east end and because of this the city expanded much further East in the latter part of the 20th century then it did any other direction. The Langbar Gardens Estate (completed 1966) in Swarcliffe

Swarcliffe

Swarcliffe, originally the Swarcliffe Estate, is a district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre, and within the LS14 Leeds postcode area....

lay right on the eastern fringes of the city sprawl until it was demolished in the early 21st century, including the high profile implosions

Building implosion

In the controlled demolition industry, building implosion is the strategic placing of explosive material and timing of its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimizing the physical damage to its immediate surroundings...

of Langbar Towers, Langbar Grange and Ash Tree Grange. By the 1960s and 1970s land for social housing was becoming scarcer and the council started looking towards building 'high rise', with such estates as Cottingley

Cottingley, Leeds

Cottingley is an urban area in the south-west of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.Most of Cottingley is a 1960s council estate. The two tower blocks situated on a hill at the centre of the estate are Leeds's tallest flats. In the 1980s, these were in a poor condition, and had particular problems...

sporting prominent tower blocks. By the 1970s less land was available for such developments and the particularly large estates were becoming unpopular, however faced with a need for a larger social housing stock, Leeds City Council

Leeds City Council

built smaller estates such as Holt Park

Holt Park

(in partnership with Norman Ashton), replaced the prefabricated 'war houses' in Cottingley

Cottingley, Leeds

with newer prefabs and redeveloped areas such as Beckhill in Meanwood

Meanwood

Meanwood is a suburb and former village of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Origins and History:The name Meanwood goes back to the 12th century, and is of Anglo-Saxon derivation: the Meene wude was the boundary wood of the Manor of Alreton, the woods to the east of Meanwood Beck...

.

Perhaps the most obvious housing incarnation of this era has been the council house. These have been a subject of some controversy since they were built. On the one hand some people argue they vastly improved Britain's housing stock, and provided their occupants with modern luxuries such as central heating, an inside lavatory and a modern kitchen, while others criticise the way they were built, the disruption to communities, the build quality of certain batches of houses and the policy of housing problem tenants in them. Certain estates in Leeds have suffered from high crime and poverty and thus had low house prices (such as Seacroft

Seacroft

, Gipton

Gipton

Gipton is a suburb of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, between the A58 to the north and the A64 to the south. It is joined with Harehills as a City Council Ward...

, Belle Isle

Belle Isle, Leeds

Belle Isle is a large suburb south of Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, England. It is bounded to the north and east by the M621 motorway.The district lies in the LS10 Leeds postcode area...

and Halton Moor

Halton Moor

Halton Moor is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, located around three miles east of Leeds city centre and is close to the A63. It is situated between Killingbeck to the north, Temple Newsam to the south, Osmondthorpe to the west and Halton and Colton to the east.The area is mainly...

), while others have maintained a lower crime rate and enjoy buoyant house prices (such as Moor Grange

Moor Grange

Moor Grange Estate is a housing estate in the West Park area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which was built in the 1950s on reclaimed farmland. Work on the Moor Grange Estate began in 1955. It was originally owned by the local council, and was leased by the council to tenants as a council...

, the Lincombe estate in Gledhow

Gledhow

Gledhow is a suburb of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, situated east of Chapel Allerton and west of Roundhay. A major feature of the area is Gledhow Valley, a strip of mixed deciduous woodland with a beck and lake. A bathhouse dating from 1671, the Gipton Spa, is in the woods...

, Ireland Wood

Ireland Wood

Ireland Wood is a small residential area in north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately to the north west of Leeds city centre. The original planning for Ireland Wood began in 1950....

, Holt Park

Holt Park

and Tinshill

Tinshill

Tinshill is a district of Leeds, 4 miles north of Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Horsforth and Cookridge. When the estate was planned in the 1940s it was originally known as the 'Cookridge Tower Estate'. The estate predated surrounding estates such as...

Post Millennium

So far during this period, Leeds has seen much development, particularly in the city centre

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...

, most notably the highrise developments such as Bridgewater Place

Bridgewater Place

, the developments around Clarence Dock

Clarence Dock (Leeds)

Clarence Dock is a shopping and leisure destination in central Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It also hosts a large residential population in waterside apartments, as well as a significant office presence....

, K2

K2 (building)

K2 is a residential tower block in Leeds, UK. The building is situated in the city centre, on Albion Street and Great George Street, opposite St John's Centre. The lower two floors contain commercial premises, including a Jongleurs Comedy Club, Bar Risa and formerly a Hard Rock Cafe. The...

(albeit a conversion from an older building) as well as many developments incorporating student accommodation. The 2002 redevelopment of Leeds railway station incorporated a notable steel and glass roof covering the main platform hall and providing panoramic views to the south west from the mezzanine level.

Bridgewater Place

Bridgewater Place is currently the tallest building in Leeds

Leeds

and the second tallest structure in Yorkshire

Yorkshire

after the Emley Moor Television Transmitter (near Huddersfield

Huddersfield

Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....

). The building comprises offices, flats, shops

Retailing

Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...

and restaurants. Bridgewater Place is 361 feet (110 m) tall and has 32 storeys. The original design included a spire, but this was never added. In 2008, Building Design, the architectural journal, shortlisted Bridgewater Place for the Carbuncle Cup

Carbuncle Cup

The Carbuncle Cup is an architecture prize, given annually by the magazine Building Design to "the ugliest building in the United Kingdom completed in the last 12 months". The award was based on an idea created by the Scottish architecture magazine Prospect, which has run the Carbuncle Awards since...

, which is awarded to 'buildings so ugly they freeze the heart'.

Opal 3

Opal 3 is a skyscraper

Skyscraper

in Leeds

Leeds

situated to the north of the city centre

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...

on Wade Lane, adjacent to the Merrion Centre and Tower House. The building was officially completed in September 2008 and at 269 feet (82 m) with 27 storeys Opal 3 is Leeds' third tallest building after Bridgewater Place

Bridgewater Place

and Sky Plaza. The building consists solely of student accommodation for the University of Leeds

University of Leeds

The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...

and Leeds Metropolitan University

Leeds Metropolitan University

Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...

as well as Leeds' other further education institutions. The building was built on the former site of the Little Londoner (later The Londoner) public house, as well as some former car parking in the Lovell Park

Lovell Park

Lovell Park is an inner-city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.Lovell Park along with its adjacent areas Little London and Blenheim, is an area of 1960s high-rise and maisonette council housing situated between the city centre and Sheepscar....

area of the city. Opal 3 was fully booked for the 2008 academic year. It contains 542 students flats (all which are en-suite) as well as a gym

Gym

The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...

for student use.

Plaza Tower

The Plaza Tower is a skyscraper currently under construction. When complete in 2009 the Plaza overtook Opal 3 as Leeds' second tallest building. The tower contains 572 student flats and stands at 338 feet (103 m). It has 37 storeys (making it the building with the most storeys in Leeds, as the Bridgewater Place has commercial height ceilings. These are particularly high for the first eight storeys).

Clarence Dock

Clarence Dock (Leeds)

was originally a large timber dock, situated between the city centre

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...

and Hunslet

Hunslet

. Decades of industrial decline left the dock obsolete. The opening of the Royal Armouries Museum in 1996 began the regeneration of the area, however little else was undertaken, until the wider redevelopment began in 2001. This was completed in 2007 (at a cost of £260 million) and includes flats, offices, bars, restaurants, a hotel and a casino. The development centres around the dock itself as well as around 'Armouries Boulevard' and 'Armouries Square', two pedestrianised thoroughfares. The main office block on the development is Livingston House which has not yet attracted a tenant. The smaller dock incorporates six residential berths for house boats, while a passenger boat service to Granary Wharf runs from here.

The development has not been without criticism, with many people in the city commenting on the lack of people in the area, while architect Maxwell Hutchinson

Maxwell Hutchinson

John Maxwell Hutchinson is an English architect and broadcaster.-Early life:He was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire to Frank Maxwell Hutchinson and his wife Elizabeth Ross and went to school in Northamptonshire at Wellingborough Prep School and the independent Oundle School...

described them as the 'slums of the future'. and described the development as a 'mundane collection' of buildings and an 'incredibly soulless place' and claimed that 'in two or three decades these shiny new buildings will be following Quarry Hill down the spiral of decay'. These claims were explored on the BBC television programme Inside Out

Inside Out (BBC TV series)

Inside Out is the brand name for a number of regional television programmes in England broadcast on BBC One. Each series, made by a BBC region, focuses on stories from the local area...

. While at a fashion show at Clarence Dock, Gok Wan

Gok Wan

Gok Wan is a British fashion consultant, author and television presenter of British Chinese heritage. He is known for his appearances on many television programmes , for providing fashion advice to celebrities and for contributing his views to fashion magazines published internationally.-Early...

claimed he thought the development would be a huge success.

Future

Two major developments in Leeds city centre

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...

have recently fallen on stoney ground. Criterion Place

Criterion Place

Criterion Place was a proposed skyscraper development in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. In July 2008 it was announced that the project is to be cancelled owing to the property market slump.- Background :...

('The Kissing Towers') has been cancelled, while construction work on Lumiere has been put on hold until 'the economic climate looks more favourable'. While the project has been on hold, Lumiere's developers have submitted plans to Leeds City Council to increase the height of both towers. So far much of the work on Lumiere's foundations has been completed.

The new Leeds Arena

Leeds Arena

Leeds Arena is the name of an under-construction arena in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. The Leeds Arena will be a 13,500 capacity entertainment focussed arena, and will be the first in the United Kingdom to have a fan-shaped orientation....

is to be built on Clay Pit Lane, behind the Merrion Centre, the architectural style has not yet been revealed. As part of the Trinity Quarter development will provide Leeds with a new public square as well as shops, retailing from roof arcades.

John Betjeman on Leeds' architecture

In 1968 John Betjeman

John Betjeman

Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...

made a television film called A Poet Goes North in which he gave his opinion on the changing architecture of Leeds. Betjeman described the constant sound of falling Victorian architecture

Victorian architecture

. Betjeman also lambasted British Railways House (now City House

City House

City House is a building over Leeds railway station that was built as British Railways House in 1962. The buildings were, like many other railway buildings in the UK, designed by architect John Poulson. Poulson also designed the Leeds International Swimming Pool...

) saying it blocked all the light out to City Square

Leeds City Square

and was only a testament to money and had no architectural merit of its own. Betjeman also praised Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...

in the film. The film, which was never broadcast at the time, was preserved by Leeds Civic Trust and has been restored by the Yorkshire Film Archive. It was screened as part of the Leeds International Film Festival

Leeds International Film Festival

The Leeds International Film Festival is the largest film festival in England outside London. Held in November at various venues throughout Leeds, West Yorkshire it shows over 200 films from around the world, commercial and independent....

in 2008

Maxwell Hutchinson on Leeds' architecture

Architect and critic Maxwell Hutchinson

Maxwell Hutchinson

has attracted controversy in his criticism of recent architectural developments in Leeds, most notably Clarence Dock

Clarence Dock (Leeds)

. In referring to Leeds' plans for the future, Hutchinson said "there are worrying signs that Yorkshire is about to make the same mistakes that we have made in London over 20 years ago". Hutchinson also criticised the dearth of services in the city centre, referring to its lack of schools and health care facilities. Hutchinson also described the Clarence Dock development as "the slums of the future". These claims were explored on the BBC television programme, Inside Out

Inside Out (BBC TV series)

Inside Out is the brand name for a number of regional television programmes in England broadcast on BBC One. Each series, made by a BBC region, focuses on stories from the local area...

.
Hutchinson claimed that Leeds needed an iconic building like Manchester

Manchester

's The Lowry

The Lowry

The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex situated on Pier 8 at Salford Quays, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early-20th century painter, L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England...

or Gateshead

Gateshead

Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...

's The Sage. However he claimed that the redevelopment of older buildings around The Calls "could compete with anywhere in Europe for the quality and sensitivity of its design."

Public space

Leeds city centre

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...

has four main public squares being Park Square, City Square

Leeds City Square

, Armouries Square and Millennium Square.

Smaller squares do exist, including Dortmund Square, St Peters Square, Central Square, Queen Square, Woodhouse Square and Hannover Square. While the rest of Leeds has large open parks, this is something the city centre lacks and most free recreational space is contained within these squares. Since 2000, both City Square and Millennium Square have been redeveloped with hard landscaping. In an interview with Martin Wainwright, the northern editor of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...

, architect Irena Bauman, praised City Square for being a well designed and well used public space, however she criticised The Plaza Tower

The Plaza Tower

Sky Plaza is a tower block, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is the second phase of a development in Leeds city centre, consisting of 572 student apartments...

development for its lack of public space, stating that the only space made available was for service vehicles.

RIBA

The following buildings have a RIBA award:

The Corn Exchange
Leeds Corn Exchange
The Leeds Corn Exchange is a Victorian building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and completed in 1864...
The Henry Moore Institute
Henry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....

The Peoples Award

The short listed buildings for the People's Award of the Leeds Architecture Awards in 2003 were:

The School of Music, Cavendish Road, Leeds city centre
Leeds City Centre
Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...
House Extension, 31 Westgate, Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
The BT Headquarters, Neville Street, Leeds city centre
Leeds City Centre
Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...
Ask, formerly the Renezvous Café, Market Place, Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
The Chapel, Martin House
Martin House Hospice
Martin House is a children's hospice in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, England. It provides care and support to families in which there is a child or children with a short life expectancy....

, Boston Spa
Boston Spa
Boston Spa is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England, south of Wetherby, on the banks of the River Wharfe...
K2 Development
K2 (building)
K2 is a residential tower block in Leeds, UK. The building is situated in the city centre, on Albion Street and Great George Street, opposite St John's Centre. The lower two floors contain commercial premises, including a Jongleurs Comedy Club, Bar Risa and formerly a Hard Rock Cafe. The...

, Albion Street, Leeds city centre
Leeds City Centre
Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...
Foxwood Flats, West Avenue, Roundhay
Roundhay
Roundhay is a large suburb and City Council ward of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, largely within the LS8 postcode. The ward boundary is the A6120 ring road on the north and the A58 Wetherby Road on the south and east. The boundary follows Gledhow Valley Road to the west before heading...
Mixed Development, 1 Dock Street, Leeds city centre
Leeds City Centre
Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...
BBC Headquarters
BBC Yorkshire
BBC Yorkshire is one of the English regions of the BBC. It was formed from the division of the former BBC North region into BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, based in Hull.-Television:...

, Quarry Hill
Quarry Hill, Leeds
Quarry Hill is an area of central Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is surrounded by the Leeds Inner Ring Road to the east and north. The Leeds - York / Hull railway runs just south of the district into the city centre...

Leeds Civic Trust

Leeds Civic Trust is a voluntary, non-profit body whose aims and objectives are:

To stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history and character of the City and locality
To encourage high standards of design, architecture and town planning
To encourage the development and improvement of features of general public amenity
To promote and organise co-operation in the achievement of these objectives

The Trust works to preserve Leeds' architectural heritage and to ensure that new developments are of suitable quality for the city. It also organises the local Heritage Open Days in conjunction with the Civic Trust

Civic Trust

The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...

External links

Leeds Civic Trust
Leeds City Council Listed Buildings with link to current version of complete list, as Listed building gazetteer
Leeds Society of Architects

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Pre 1600

1600 to 1800

Nineteenth century

Housing

Twentieth century

Early era

Art deco

1920s and 1930s

Brutalism

1960s to 1980s

1990s

Housing

Post Millennium

Bridgewater Place

Opal 3

Plaza Tower

Clarence Dock

Future

John Betjeman on Leeds' architecture

Maxwell Hutchinson on Leeds' architecture

Public space

RIBA

The Peoples Award

Leeds Civic Trust

See also

External links