Broadcasting Tower

Leeds

Built on the site of the former BBC Studios, Downing developed the 23-storey mixed use scheme in the heart of Leeds city centre, which in 2010 won the coveted prize of Best Tall Building in the World.

Working in partnership with Leeds Beckett University, Broadcasting Tower provided over 130,000 sq ft of new offices and teaching spaces and 241 student bedrooms in a landmark building that included a new Baptist Church.

Student Accommodation and Teaching Space

130,000 sq ft

241 beds

Student Accommodation and Teaching Space

130,000 sq ft

241 beds

Revitalising BBC Studios into the ‘World’s best tall building’

Broadcasting Tower’s 23 storeys of stepped, irregular elevations and striking Cor-Ten cladding earned the scheme numerous awards. The World’s Best Tall Building award was praised for being “a fantastic accolade for Downing, the architect and the city of Leeds” by George Downing. He continued: “the success of the scheme proves that designing for education doesn’t need to be safe or unchallenging. Universities are competing at an international level to attract the brightest and best students and they need world-class architecture to succeed.”

Delivered inside a conservation area and integrated into Leeds Beckett University campus, since its completion it has become the city’s most popular student development.

Close to the heart of the city centre of Leeds, Broadcasting Place presented the team with an opportunity to put sustainability at the core of reimagining this historic site. The site posed some difficult challenges, which were responded to with a masterplan that manages an adjacent inner-city motorway, while still allowing for future growth. A new public space forms a significant landscape element of the scheme, as befits its prime location.

Together with Feildent Clegg Bradley architects, we have received significant recognition for Broadcasting Place.

2019 CTBUH 10 Year Award: Award of Excellence
2010 CTBUH Best Tall Buildings Award: Best Tall Building in Europe
2010 LEAF Emirates Award: Best Mixed Use Building Award
2010 RIBA National Award
2010 CTBUH Best Tall Buildings Award: Best Tall Building Overall
2009 Leeds Architecture Awards: Best New Building

Downing Leeds Beckett University city view

Leeds Beckett University performing arts studio

Leeds Beckett University upper ground floor

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Working with Leeds Beckett University further

As a result of the success of Broadcasting Tower, Downing has continued to work with Leeds Beckett University on other landmark projects for the city including Central Village and the Creative Arts Building.

Completed in 2014, Central Village is a £70m student accommodation scheme which comprises of 1001 high quality student bedrooms delivered across three phases. Adjacent to Broadcasting Tower, we built new towers as part of the scheme as well as refurbishing original university buildings. The final fourth phase followed in 2016, that saw us develop City Side, a 474-bedroom student accommodation block in the heart of the university campus with 10,000 sq ft retail space.

We also worked in collaboration with HawkinsBrown to bring state-of-the-art Leeds School of Arts Building to Leeds Beckett University in 2021. It unites more than 2,500 students and staff from the departments of film, music, performing arts and creative technologies on a compact city-centre site. Facilities include recording studios with mixing facilities, foley studios, a green-screen studio, acoustic labs, stop-motion studio and post-production studios.

Location

Woodhouse Ln, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9PD

Get directions

Downing Students named 'Operator of the Year' at the industry oscars hosted by Property Week.

We scooped the top award at the 2023 Property Week Student Accommodation Awards.

Discover a collection of remarkable developments and projects we have undertaken across the UK within the development, project management and construction sectors.

Broadcasting Tower

Revitalising BBC Studios into the ‘World’s best tall building’

Working with Leeds Beckett University further

Location

Downing Students named 'Operator of the Year' at the industry oscars hosted by Property Week.

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