6/11/2009 Broadcasting Place completed

Property group Downing has completed a £50 million flagship university development, bringing striking new architecture to the Leeds skyline.

Broadcasting Place features 110,000 sq ft of new teaching and office space for Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and 240 student residences housed in a 23-storey tower.

The development, on Woodhouse Lane in the city centre, represents the largest single use of Cor-Ten cladding in Europe. The material, a steel alloy which was used on the Angel of the North, oxidises over time to give a stunning deep-red colour.

The new buildings represent the largest investment in arts and humanities education in Leeds for a century and have now been occupied by approximately 300 staff and 4,000 students from LMU’s Faculty of Arts and Society.

Paul Houghton, development director at Downing, said: “Broadcasting Place has been four years in the planning and construction and we are delighted to have created something which represents the very best in urban planning, architecture and design and is certain to become - if it’s not already - a focal point for this part of the city centre.

“The development represents a significant achievement - this was a complex site, within a conservation area. Working in partnership with English Heritage, CABE and Leeds Metropolitan University we have brought about a development that is visually stunning and equips thousands of Leeds’ students with unrivalled teaching and accommodation facilities.”

In addition to the new structures, Downing has preserved the Grade II listed former BBC North headquarters, Broadcasting House, and created a new Baptist church which will be formally opened and consecrated in November.

Downing is also sponsoring two academic posts at the university which focus on developing research on sustainable buildings, energy and environments.

Broadcasting Place was designed by Sterling Prize winning architects Feilden Clegg Bradley and has won praise from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).