Broadcasting Place

Leeds
Height 69.5 m / 228 ft
Floors 23
Official Name
The current legal building name.

Broadcasting Place

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed, 2009

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

United Kingdom

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Leeds

Address

148 Woodhouse Lane

Postal Code

LS2 9EN

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

residential / education / office

Structural Material
Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.

Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.

concrete/steel

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

69.5 m / 228 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
69.5 m / 228 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
62.6 m / 205 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

23

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

6,486 m² / 69,815 ft²

Construction Schedule
2006

Proposed

2007

Construction Start

2009

Completed

Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Owner/Developer
Downing and Leeds Metropolitan University
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Halcrow Yolles
MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

KGA
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

George Downing Construction

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Worldwide 2010 Winner

2010 CTBUH Awards

Best Tall Building Europe 2010 Winner

2010 CTBUH Awards

10 Year Award 2019 Award of Excellence

2019 CTBUH Awards

Videos

21 October 2010 | Leeds

Best Tall Building Europe: Broadcasting Place: Diversification of Tall Buildings for New Social Context

Creating a unique form on the Leeds skyline, the cor-ten clad Broadcasting Place has an iconic presence, but was not designed as a piece of...

Research

19 September 2012

Tall Buildings in Future Development of Metropolitan Universities

Christopher Groesbeck, VOA Associates; Jon DeVries & John McDonald, Roosevelt University; Ron Klemencic, MKA

In the future, the University will need to consider vertical models to co-exist within their urban cores and create a living and working balance. With...

About Broadcasting Place

Broadcasting Place is a mixed-use development close to Leeds city center. Conceived as a public/private partnership for property group Downing and Leeds Metropolitan University, it provides new office and teaching spaces together with 240 student residences. A new Baptist Church completes the scheme on its northern edge.

A bold addition to the Leeds cityscape, Broadcasting Place forms a prominent marker at one of Leeds’ gateways. This new academic complex for Leeds Metropolitan University overcame difficult site challenges with a masterplan which manages an inner city motorway passing alongside while also enabling future growth. The site itself encompasses a rich history as the location of Old Broadcasting House, the old BBC TV Studios, and the place where the first moving picture was developed by Louis Le Prince in the late 19th century. It sets the ideal stage for an educational building dedicated to Leeds Met’s Faculty of Arts and Society.

The masterplan worked within the framework of the “Renaissance Leeds” documents which defined a “city rim” where physical and social connectivity were paramount in reintegrating the city center with its inner city surroundings. The building concept attempts a fusion between the geological, the sculptural and the cinematic to create a building that is firmly rooted in its city context. The building creates two rising forms that snake around the perimeter of the site, responding to existing building heights, culminating in a tower “head” at the south side of the site. This tower marks the south end of the site with a dramatic formed gable end that faces towards the city.

Extensive negotiations were undertaken with the City Planning Department and in particular their Conservation Department. English Heritage was also involved in these discussions and after some initial opposition to the proposals ultimately wrote in support of the design.

This is a key central Leeds location and a new public space linking key urban spaces forms a significant landscape element in the scheme. Broadcasting Place opens up pedestrian routes across the site that had been blocked by previous developments and re-connects Woodhouse Lane with Blenheim Walk.

A key element in the design of the buildings is the irregular elevations which have been tailored to optimize daylight and reduce solar penetration. The proportions of the glazed façade have been derived using special software. An innovative analysis of the building façades was undertaken, to calculate the optimum quantity and distribution of glazing/shading at all points on the façade in order to ensure high levels of natural day lighting but without overheating.

The buildings are conceived as solid landscape forms which draw on Yorkshire’s rich geological and sculptural heritage. The concept of a strong roof pitch is reflected in the massing of the buildings which have sharp triangular corners and angular cantilevered projections. Through this massive form, windows were conceived as the flow of water cascading through a rock formation. This design intent is reinforced by the selection of cor-ten steel for the façade, as a solid, sculptural and weathering material.

The tower sits high above the city center on a main ridge which focuses a number of the city’s taller buildings. The stepping mass of the tower front places the largest elements on the skyline and the smaller elements closer to the ground and human scale. This inversion of traditional stepped massing gives the tower a unique character that provides a new identity for Leeds Met University and Downing. The sculptural south elevation is free of windows reflecting the benefits of an east–west orientation for accommodation, while at the same time reinforcing the clarity of the sculpted form in the city.

The ascending scale of the grouped projections to the south is also reflected in the grouping of windows on the east and west elevations. Smaller shifts at the lower floors give the building a more intimate scale on the street, while larger groupings higher up are designed to be seen from long distances and deal with the city scale.

The environmental approach for the building combined several elements: the façade was designed to optimize cooling load and energy use through the rigorous research and development project involving 3D computer simulations of all façades, and the building’s form was designed to optimize natural daylight and allow for natural ventilation where practicable. The development was also designed on the premise of being a car-free environment conducive to pedestrian access and includes a bike parking provision. During detailed design the buildings were developed to suit the Leeds Met University’s specific needs for the various faculties, while not sacrificing future adaptability to ensure a long lifespan for the building.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Worldwide 2010 Winner

2010 CTBUH Awards

Best Tall Building Europe 2010 Winner

2010 CTBUH Awards

10 Year Award 2019 Award of Excellence

2019 CTBUH Awards

21 October 2010 | Leeds

Best Tall Building Europe: Broadcasting Place: Diversification of Tall Buildings for New Social Context

Creating a unique form on the Leeds skyline, the cor-ten clad Broadcasting Place has an iconic presence, but was not designed as a piece of...

21 October 2010 | Leeds

CTBUH 9th Annual Awards Dinner

The 9th Annual Awards Ceremony & Dinner was held in Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Crown Hall, on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, Chicago....

21 October 2010 | Leeds

Interview: Broadcasting Place

George Downing of Downing and Alex Whitbread of Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios are interviewed by Jeff Herzer during the 2010 CTBUH Awards Symposium at the...

19 September 2012

Tall Buildings in Future Development of Metropolitan Universities

Christopher Groesbeck, VOA Associates; Jon DeVries & John McDonald, Roosevelt University; Ron Klemencic, MKA

In the future, the University will need to consider vertical models to co-exist within their urban cores and create a living and working balance. With...

15 December 2010

Dormitowers

Richard Simpson, UNITE Group, Plc.

This past decade, “student skyscrapers” have re-emerged at or near university campuses and city centers. As such, the vertical dorm is making a comeback after...