Bridgewater Place

Infobox Skyscraper


building_name = Bridgewater Place
previous_building =
year_built = 2007
surpassed_by_building =
year_highest =
year_end =
location = flagicon|EnglandLeeds, England
coordinates = coord|53.7920|-1.5479|display=title,inline|region:GB_scale:2000
status = Complete
roof = convert|110|m|ft|0
antenna_spire =
height_stories = 32
construction_period =
Under Construction= 2004 - 2007
floor_area = 40,000 square metres (430,560 sq ft)
architect = Aedas
developer = KW Linfoot
contractor = Bovis Lend Lease
emporis_id =

Bridgewater Place, nicknamed The Dalek, [cite web|url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=734|site=SKYSCRAPERNEWS.COM|title=Building - 734 - Bridgewater Place - Leeds|accessdate=2008-08-02] is an office and residential development in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is the tallest building in Leeds and the tallest building in Yorkshire, and has held this record since being topped out in September 2005. It is visible at up to convert|25|mi|km from certain areas.

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). Bridgewater Place has a height of convert|110|m|ft to roof level. Originally the tower was to have had a spire which would have extended the height of the building to convert|137|m|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 square metres / 430,560 square feet 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.

Currentwhen? office tenants include Eversheds, Ernst & Young, ghd, BDO Stoy Hayward, Operon and DWF LLP. Retail tenants include Tesco, Starbucks, Nooshi, Create and Philpotts.

The atrium of Bridgewater Place hosts the 17.5 metre column sculpture called 'Hello Friends' by artists Bryan Davies and Laura Davies, which is tallest sculpture in YorkshireFact|date=July 2008. Created as a reinterpretation of Constantin Brancusi's Endless Coumn from Târgu JiuFact|date=July 2008, Romania 50 years after the artist's death, it houses illuminated photographs showing a science fiction narrative.

The major part of the building's construction was completed by late December 2006.Fact|date=October 2008 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 farwhen? include blue and purple.

The building's shape appears to be accelerating winds in its immediate vicinity to the extent that pedestrians have experienced severe difficulties walking past. These winds have led to some of the entrances to the building being closed for safety reasons. [cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/businessnews/The-answer-is-blowing-in.4274166.jp|Publisher=Yorkshire Post|title=The answer is blowing in the wind|date=2008-07-10] To rectify these issues in the design may require the addition of 'vertical fins' to the facade of the building. [cite news|url=http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/dailynews/2008/07/fins_may_solve_aedas_towers_wind_grief.html|publisher=Architects Journal|title=Fins may solve Aedas towers wind grief|accessdate=2008-07-10]

Gallery

ee also

*List of tallest buildings in Leeds
*Architecture in Leeds

Notes

External links

* [http://www.bridgewaterplaceleeds.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.aedas.com/ Aedas Official Website]
* [http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=734 Skyscraper News article on Bridgewater Place]
* [http://www.leeds-cityscape.co.uk/Bridgewater_Place.html Bridgewater Place page on Leeds Cityscape]
* [http://www.artisthouse.org.uk Website of artists making atrium sculpture]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/6595493.stm BBC Article on the completion of Bridgewater Place]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwfYA2Fp32I BBC News broadcast covering the sculpture]
* [http://www.carrerapropertyconsultancy.com/floor-plans/bridgewater-floorplans.pdf] PDF floor plans of some of the residential parts of the building