Leeds Tower Works comes alive again

YORnet and RIBA Yorkshire invited architects and other young professionals to visit the newly completed first phase of the Tower Works renovation and redevelopment.

Tower Works is a former factory notable for its three listed towers that are a distinctive landmark on the Leeds skyline. The largest and most ornate tower (1899, by Bakewell) is based on Giotto's Campanile in Florence. The smaller ornate tower (1866, by Shaw) is styled after the Torre dei Lamberti in Verona. A third plain tower, is thought to represent a Tuscan tower house such as can be seen in San Gimignano.  

 

Bauman Lyons won a high profile competition in 2006 to redevelop the site and save the derelict listed towers. The completed buildings provide office space, start-up workshop units and cultural & community facilities in Holbeck Urban Village.

The evening started with an introduction to the project by Sam Wilson from Bauman Lyons Architects, Tom Hustler from Homes and Communities Agency who acquired the buildings from previous owners Yorkshire Forward and Creative Space Networks who are now managing the buildings in use.

Tower Works is a former factory notable for its three listed towers that are a distinctive landmark on the Leeds skyline. The largest and most ornate tower (1899, by Bakewell) is based on Giotto's Campanile in Florence. The smaller ornate tower (1866, by Shaw) is styled after the Torre dei Lamberti in Verona. A third plain tower, is thought to represent a Tuscan tower house such as can be seen in San Gimignano.

We then had the opportunity to walk round the buildings, and have a closer look at the playful interaction between new and old.

To find out about future building visits and events, please contact riba.yorkshire@riba.org or yorkshire@rtpi.org.uk.

YORnet is a multi-disciplinary network attached to Concourse (The Leeds Centre for Art, Architecture, Construction, Landscape, Planning and Urban Design) whose aim is to provide a forum within which young planners, architects, engineers, surveyors, landscape architects and other young professionals in the Yorkshire region can develop their interest in planning, regeneration and design and also socialise and share experiences.