Where Leeds Leads








Leeds is the 26th largest city in the EU and the 3rd largest city in the UK interms of population (behind London and Birmingham) with a population of around 750,000. It developed from a small settlement on the River Aire into one of the leading industrial centres in the world due to the Industrial Revolution. Over time though as industry has dwindled, the city has had to evolve and it is now an important financial centre where the back office operations of London are handled. The city is currently in a boom with large swathes of the city being redeveloped, ancient Victorian buildings being brought back to life and . The city also has a large ethnic population. It is also a city that is moving upwards with various skyscraper projects planned. If you wish to know more about Leeds, Leeds skyscraper boom and anything else related to boom, the UK & Ireland Leeds sub-forum at SSC is a must-visit!

Pictures are unfortunately not of my usual high grade due to two reasons: the climate (hard holding an umbrella and taking shots with the camera in the other ;)) and to avoid using flash in a city already in shock after it was the leaving point for the 7/7 bombers - I didn't want to start taking risks of flashes in a city where the police presence was already high. Enough excuses - time for piccies and there are quite a few of them!

PS - Spot the celebrity ;)








1 - Leeds is made up of various quarters, the most interesting is he Victoria Quarter which is host to numerous arcades in Leeds' Victorian Quarter. These arcades date back over 100 years and combine amazingly detailed wood, stone and iron work on both the exterior and interior.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/1865/img12536ab.jpg



2 - Another arcade, this time though with a different design interior, linking two main streets they contain modern shops but also specialist shops that you would not find at say most modern day shopping malls. These also look far nicer and 'homely'.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/6836/img12553xy.jpg



3 - This is the exterior of the largest arcade: County Arcade that is now 105 years old, the exterior is of a very high standard.
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/8015/img12563nc.jpg



4 - The interior of the County Arcade which is perhaps the grandest (and largest) of all the arcades in Leeds. Further down the arcade branches out goes off into other 'arcades' which can't be shown here.
http://img327.imageshack.us/img327/1369/img12585hb.jpg



5 - One more arcade, although this is a modern one (as can be seen by the roof), while this would most likely have been a normal shopping street open to the elements - this is connected to the County Arcade (above). Urban shopping should be more like this.
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/554/img12637hn.jpg



6 - Most cities have markets which are open to the elements or held once or more a week along some roads. In Leeds, one of the markets is built inside an amazingly elegant building, inside you can still find stalls dedicated to goods that won't be found in supermarkets.
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3735/img12647au.jpg



7 - The exterior of the Leeds City Markets.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/7570/img12650zo.jpg



8 - Interior of the Leeds City Markets loking up to the central roof structure.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/8767/img12667ju.jpg



9 - An interior shot of the Corn Exchange - where clothes and other retail outlets are now found, corn used to be strangely traded here - very old, excellent atmosphere and an amazing roof that is not quite semi-circular, but cigar shaped.
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/8248/img12733ge.jpg



10 - Bob Geldof (slighty blurred) signing his new book in a WH Smiths (a large book and stationery retailer).
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/503/img12789bi.jpg



11 - Leeds Town Hall pokes out from the surroundings.
http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/5152/img12790tb.jpg



12 - Unsure of this highrise, but it looks nearly finished.
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/214/img12804uu.jpg



13 - Nice random buildings.
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/7538/img12815zs.jpg



14 - The Leeds Town Hall from another view.
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/818/img12842ru.jpg



15 - Another random but nice building.
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/9026/img12856pi.jpg



16 - I was attracted by the oddly shaped crown which is shaped like nothing I have seen anywhere in the world!
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3252/img12876oe.jpg



17 - Leeds Art Gallery at the centre and Park Plaza Hotel behind (20 floors).
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/8255/img12898ch.jpg



18 - Closer look at the crown of the Town Hall
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/8740/img12904xh.jpg



19 - Various old buildings
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/9275/img12920ud.jpg



20 - Lovely building of the neo-gothic style with turrets and wonderful window frames.
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/7825/img12933dw.jpg



21 - The contrast between historic and a spanking new building with double skin cladding.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/8413/img12950zm.jpg



22 - The Queens Hotel (Leeds Station in the background).
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/1356/img12962hl.jpg



23 - Unsure of the building, but its undergoing reconstruction an looks class.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/5596/img12998xo.jpg



24 - A building that looks quite nice blending the modern and old with stone and glass.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/8057/img13001mn.jpg



25 - DLA's building (world's 4th largest lawyer group) in Leeds.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/2937/img13012jv.jpg



26 - Looking back to the centre of Leeds.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/2750/img13030qx.jpg



27 - Just above I talked about DLA's building, one of the nicest modern buildings around the choice of cladding is of the highest quality and even though its a few years old, doesn't show age like most modern buildings do - still crisp and sharp.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/4116/img13048ra.jpg



28 - Some odd Victoria tower that I do not know the usage of - not a church tower I believe. Below is the station which has just undergone a £245mn (US$ 430mn) modernisation project. I unfortunately didn't take any photos (doh!), but it is a very nice blending an old art-deco styled main entrance (used to be a taxi rank) and a very interesting roofing structure. It is a pretty large station with 17 platforms and is one of the busiest stations in the UK.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/3733/img13051cd.jpg



29 - This will be when finished Leed's tallest tower, currently up to around the 16th floor this is the main core of Bridgewater Place which will be 30 floors high and 115m tall. Its reign will be short-lived though as towers of 118m, 120, 124m, 124m, 160m and a 170m are currently being planned to create what will be one of the fastest growing clusters in Europe. T
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/1018/img13064ht.jpg



30 - The Canal and the new highrises that have developed literally over the last few months!
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/1526/img13075nu.jpg

Cracking post Nick, good pics shame the weather was'nt great for you

indeed - a fine set of photos, although tis a shame about the crappy weather conditions. I reckon seeing that the official Leeds thread is getting fairly large, we should post any random city shots on here from now on. Di Livio has loads............

Whoops I just posted 2 on the official Leeds thread 3

Picture No 30 if thats the canal why has the area been given the name Whitehall RIVERside?

And regardless of size, sheffield will never be this good. Thansk SSC.

Picture No 30 if thats the canal why has the area been given the name Whitehall RIVERside?
That is the river. The poster has made an error. The canal is just to the south of the river.

The Town Hall really is a very interesting building, love the lions guarding the entrances.

Thought I would post a few of my favourite pics of Leeds :)

http://members.lycos.co.uk/skyfitsleeds/hpbimg/Leeds2.jpg

http://members.lycos.co.uk/skyfitsleeds/hpbimg/745x245_citysq1.jpg

http://members.lycos.co.uk/skyfitsleeds/hpbimg/fc29ed35.jpg

http://members.lycos.co.uk/skyfitsleeds/hpbimg/citysqbig-1.jpg

http://members.lycos.co.uk/skyfitsleeds/hpbimg/victoria-3.jpg

http://members.lycos.co.uk/skyfitsleeds/hpbimg/market.jpg

http://members.lycos.co.uk/skyfitsleeds/hpbimg/leeds.m50.station.jpg

and my favourite highrise in Leeds so far (built) K2
http://members.lycos.co.uk/skyfitsleeds/hpbimg/K2%20leeds.jpg

The photographer must have been very lucky to catch the City Square fountains on one of the rare days when they've actually been working.

I don't just like K2, but I like the cube underneath it and the light, which is nextdoor. They have both brought some new life into this area with things like the hard rock café, tigertiger and the cinema (ster century?).

I don't just like K2, but I like the cube underneath it and the light, which is nextdoor. They have both brought some new life into this area with things like the hard rock café, tigertiger and the cinema (ster century?).

The multiplex cinema in The Light is now another Vue (Warner Bros).

The photographer must have been very lucky to catch the City Square fountains on one of the rare days when they've actually been working.

It's absolutely appalling that they can't get that fountain to work - there's some correspondence about it in the YEP tonight. A photograph of them working must be as rare as someone eating a pork chop in synagogue on Yom Kippur (or someone eating same in a mosque on Ramadan) !

It's absolutely appalling that they can't get that fountain to work - there's some correspondence about it in the YEP tonight. A photograph of them working must be as rare as someone eating a pork chop in synagogue on Yom Kippur (or someone eating same in a mosque on Ramadan) !
That photo dates back to before the builders moved into the old Post Office, and I can't remember the fountains being switched on at all in the last six months.

^^... of course they were on in the last 6 months.... I can't remember which day it was though.....

http://members.lycos.co.uk/skyfitsleeds/hpbimg/citysqbig-1.jpg
Cool! My pic is down as a favourite! I'm dead chuffed! :)


.... but please give it the correct title! It's lovingly titled 'The day the fountains worked ' ;)


:cheers:

.......sounds like the title of a book Molly.

Just found this thread! Nice Pictures!
You should make a website! (unless you have one). :banana:

Just found this thread! Nice Pictures!
You should make a website! (unless you have one). :banana:Wow! There are some fantastic pictures in there that I've never seen before. Thanks for turning this up, Matt (and thanks to everyone else for posting the pictures in the first place!).