Status Complete Opening 2007 Opened 2007 Architecture firm Aedas | Estimated completion 2006 Height 110 m Floors 30 Architectural style Modern architecture | |
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Roof 368 ft (112 m) AGL476 ft (145 m) ASL Owner CPPI Bridgewater Place Limited Similar Granary Wharf, Leeds Dock, Candle House, Waterman's Place, Leeds Corn Exchange | ||
Bridgewater Place, nicknamed The Dalek, is an office and residential skyscraper in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is the tallest building in Yorkshire, and has held this record since being topped out in September 2005. It is visible at up to 25 miles (40 kilometres) from most areas. Although the tallest building in Yorkshire, it is not the tallest structure. Emley Moor transmission tower, 13 miles south of Bridgewater Place, is taller and is the tallest structure in the United Kingdom.
Contents
- Map of Bridgewater Place 1 Water Ln Leeds LS11 5RU UK
- 2 bedroom apartment to rent at bridgewater place leeds
- The building
- Criticism aesthetics
- Criticism safety issues
- References
Map of Bridgewater Place, 1 Water Ln, Leeds LS11 5RU, UK
2 bedroom apartment to rent at bridgewater place leeds
The building
The development has been designed by Aedas Architects with the developer being Landmark Development Projects and St James Securities with Bovis Lend Lease being the contractor. The developer of the residential element of Bridgewater Place is KW Linfoot.
It was first announced in 2000 and, following several redesigns and delays with the construction process, construction of the building began in 2004 and was completed in 2007. It became the tallest building in Leeds, by a significant margin, and Yorkshire (although this does not take into account structures such as Emley Moor transmitting station). Bridgewater Place has a height of 112 m (367 ft) to roof level. Originally the tower was to have a spire which would have extended the height of the building to 137 m (449 ft), however this was never built.
Bridgewater Place has 32 storeys, of which two are used for car parking, ten for offices and twenty for residential purposes. There is 40,000 m2 (430,000 sq ft) of floor space in the building with 200 flats and 400 underground car parking spaces serving both the residential and commercial areas of the building.
Current office tenants include Eversheds, Ernst & Young, ghd, BDO Stoy Hayward, 2plan wealth management, DWF LLP and NHS Digital. Retail tenants include Tesco, Starbucks, Panini Shack and Philpotts. The residential element of the development has proved to be a prestigious city centre address.
The major part of the building's construction was completed by late December 2006. The completion of the entire building was commemorated on Thursday 26 April 2007. A special episode of Look North, the BBC's local regional news programme was produced to commemorate the opening of the tower. The tower is illuminated at night with bright coloured lighting effects, colours used so far include blue and purple.
Criticism - aesthetics
In 2008, Building Design, the architectural journal, shortlisted Bridgewater Place for its annual Carbuncle Cup, which is awarded to 'buildings so ugly they freeze the heart'.
Criticism - safety issues
The building's shape accelerates winds in its immediate vicinity, knocking over pedestrians and even vehicles. One person suffered a torn liver and internal bleeding, and cuts requiring 11 stitches, and a buggy with a three-month-old child was pushed out into the road by a sharp gust. In March 2011 a man was killed by a lorry overturning on him by a gust. The Crown Prosecution Service advised against bringing charges of corporate manslaughter against the architects, Aedas. However, at the inquest in December 2013 Leeds Deputy Coroner Melanie Williamson recommended the roads nearby should be closed to vehicles when wind speeds exceeded 45 mph (72 km/h; 20 m/s). This was done on 6 December, though pedestrians continue being injured by being blown over.
These winds have led to some of the entrances to the building being closed for safety reasons. To rectify these issues in the design may require the addition of 'vertical fins' to the facade of the building.
The safety problems caused by the building has had an impact on proposals for other high-rise developments in the city. In August 2016, when submitting plans for Bridge Street, the developers stated that extensive wind tests were being undertaken to avoid ‘another Bridgewater Place’.