Central Square

The development consists of a mixed-use scheme of high-spec, sustainable offices at the upper levels with restaurant, shopping and leisure at ground and first floor levels, opening up to an inviting new ‘Winter Garden’ and atrium space contributing to a stunning new public realm and improved pedestrian connections. Nestled within an area of special architectural and historic interest, our vision for Central Square embraces both its cherished past and prosperous future.

The building is located immediately to the south and west of the City Centre Conservation Area which defines an area of special architectural and historic interest and responds positively to the character and appearance of the surrounding context, in particular the scale, mass and characteristics of existing buildings along Wellington Street and Whitehall Road. The building design ensures that it is embedded into the city form rather than a statement of detached individuality. It mediates between existing buildings as an infill to the long established street scene and skyline.

In mediating between existing buildings, we recognised distinct contextual differences to the north and south of the site. Leeds’ geology helped inform both material and construction choices: to the north, the Conservation Area features dense red brickwork, terracotta and faience, shaped by the city’s southern clay and shale deposits; while to the north, magnesium limestone gives a lighter, softer tone. These contrasts inspired a strategy that defines Wellington Street and Whitehall Road as “exoskeletons” – façades materially responsive to their context.

At the site’s heart, a lighter, more transparent architectural language creates an accessible, welcoming public space. Remarkably, 79% of the site is publicly accessible, encompassing external areas, interior spaces, and new amenities such as shops, cafés and restaurants. This permeability is achieved by raising the main office reception to a first-floor cantilevered deck, accessed via central escalators – blurring the boundary between public realm and winter garden to make the building as open and inviting as possible.

Holistic, sustainable design is at the heart of the building design philosophy. This strategy is also an integral part of the delivery of a health and well-being agenda for building users and delivers the opportunity for future building flexibility. The design team adopted an incremental three stage approach to the sustainability agenda: “passive, active, renewable”.

We endeavoured to create a ‘sense of place’ such that the workplace has a unique character that engenders a sense of pride, purpose, and dedication for workers and the workplace community. The proposals have been designed to provide maximum access to natural daylight and views to the outdoors, provide superior ventilation and external entertainment and relaxation spaces at a variety of floor levels including a large communal “sky garden”.

Within the winter garden a spectacular sculptural lighting piece by the artist Jo Fairfax extends over six storeys. The bespoke sculpture was fabricated by local engineers and fabricators, Stage One of Tockwith. The lighting patterns are based on four seasonal colour palettes over which individual events happen during the day, all tied into the site and city’s history. For example, the site was formerly Leeds Central Station from where, in 1938 the Mallard left on its record breaking speed record, a matter of considerable local pride. Therefore at 19.38pm each evening the lighting piece reacts, appearing to belch Mallard blue steam.