22/6/2010 Broadcasting Place named best tall building in Europe

A 23-storey student accommodation tower in Leeds has been named as the best tall building in Europe by a council of global architects.

The scheme, developed by Liverpool-based property group Downing, has been selected as one of four regional winners in the annual ‘Best Tall Building’ awards by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

It will now go up against the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Pinnacle@Duxton in Singapore and the Bank of America tower in New York for the overall title of best tall building in the world.

Completed in November 2009, Broadcasting Place is characterised by stepped, irregular elevations designed to optimize daylight and reduce solar penetration. The tower is owned and managed by Downing and its 240 student residences are fully let.

In May, the building was hailed as ''''truly iconic'''' when it received an award for excellence from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Paul Houghton, director at Downing said: “This is a fantastic accolade for Broadcasting Place. The scheme’s striking architecture has become a focal point of Leeds city centre and we are proud that it is receiving such prestigious international recognition.

“Students make a significant contribution to the cultural, social and economic life of a city and we believe this should be borne out by educational buildings which embrace the best architectural design. Broadcasting Place is proof that student accommodation doesn’t have to be bland, but can be exciting, challenging and bold.”

The development, on Woodhouse Lane in Leeds 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 winners were chosen as the best in each of their four world regions: Europe, Middle East/Africa, Asia/Australasia and Americas. Each was selected for its design and technical innovations, sustainable attributes, and the enhancement they provide to those who live or work in them.

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).

Downing has a successful track record of creating high quality student accommodation. In 2009, its Parkway Gate scheme in Manchester scooped the title of Best Residential Development at the RICS North West Awards. Judges commented that the scheme had successfully set new standards for the provision of student accommodation.

Construction has now started on the company’s latest student scheme – the £30 million Downing Plaza in Newcastle. Downing is creating a 729-bed student village as part of its mixed-use redevelopment of the former Scottish and Newcastle Brewery site in the Gallowgate area of the city centre.