Spiracle | Canc | 80m (est) | 26 fl

[Even Flow]

Nope. Just saying that things are very much still happening behind the scenes, and that there are other renders which will probably become available further down the line.

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by Even Flow

Nope. Just saying that things are very much still happening behind the scenes, and that there are other renders which will probably become available further down the line.

isn't this a jv between Barrett (residential) and HBG (office)? In which case they are both incredibly robust and experienced developers, with a prime city central site on their hands. I'd expect they want to get going as soon as the International Pool is clear. HBG are almost leading the Leeds development charge at the moment with the Rose Bowl and Monksbridge Forge.

Looking forward to new renders in due course. Round/curved towers seem to be the current forte in Leeds...... with Granary Wharf, and the eliptical shaped towers planned at the old Leeds Met site behind the Merrion Centre (Brunswick Place). The demolition job on the International Pool is going to be a beast, best to get some photos for posterity.

[joeyB_86]

Originally Posted by Even Flow

Nope. Just saying that things are very much still happening behind the scenes, and that there are other renders which will probably become available further down the line.

hahaha- a bit of a tease. Have you seen the renders?

[Even Flow]

I've heard that the closure date for the international pool MAY be September 23rd.

[Skychaser 2005]

From tonights YEP:



Fate of city pool site still not decided



The Spiracle planned for the International Pool site


« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »

View GalleryBy Paul Robinson
THE FATE of the Leeds International Pool site remains undecided – nearly a year after its sell-off was due to be completed.
Plans to replace the neglected complex with a cylindrical 24-storey residential tower called "The Spiracle" were first unveiled in late 2005.

And, last January, Leeds City Council was said to be weeks away from signing a deal to sell the site to its preferred developer, HBG Properties. Demolition work was reportedly set to start once the pool shut in the autumn.

Three months on from its closure, however, there are no sign of bulldozers moving in on the building, on Westgate next to the inner ring road.

Now the YEP has learned that the council has yet to conclude its sale to London-based HBG.

Documents lodged with the Government's Land Registry show the pool is still under local authority ownership.

Today, though, council leader Andrew Carter stressed the project was moving forward.

Discussions were continuing with HBG, he said, but could not be rushed because of the complex nature of the scheme.

Coun Carter said it was expected a planning application for the development would be submitted in or around April. It was unclear whether the sell-off would be finalised before that time, however.

"This is a site of huge importance, both in terms of the style and type of development we have there, and in terms of its value," said Coun Carter. "We must get things absolutely right."

Design work on the Spiracle was carried out byLondon firm Make Architects, led by Ken Shuttleworth – the man behind the capital's famed "gherkin" skyscraper.

The Leeds tower would be home to nearly 150 apartments sitting above a basement car park.

The blueprint for the rest of the site includes four eight-storey office buildings and landscaped public space.

A spokeswoman for HBG said: "All parties involved are working towards a successful completion."

The pool dates back to the 1960s and has been regarded as one of Leeds's least attractive buildings.

Designed by Pontefract architect John Poulson – later jailed for corruption – the pool was too narrow for eight-lane Olympic standards.

It closed for the final time in October, ahead of the opening of a £16m aquatics centre at the John Charles sports complex in Beeston.

Leeds City Council website


The full article contains 392 words and appears in EP Leeds First & County newspaper.Last Updated: 10 January 2008 9:44 AM

[di Livio]

architect'sjournal.co.u

OSA to build installation at Leeds International Pool

Published: 16 January 2008 12:14

German maverick Office for Subversive Architecture (OSA) has been chosen to build this temporary art installation inside Leeds' soon-to-be-demolished International Pool.

Dubbed The Accumulator, the huge textile funnel is expected to be erected within the next few days, and will stay on display until the 1967 pool is flattened to make way for Make's long-awaited Spiracle tower in April.

However, the news comes amid reports that the deal to sell off the now-empty building – originally designed by disgraced architect John Poulson – has yet to be finalised.

Leeds City Council had hoped to seal the deal for the site with developer HAG Properties last year but, according to the Yorkshire Post, the final contract has still not been signed, leaving the final demolition date in doubt.

Meanwhile, OSA is continuing with its competition-winning scheme, which has been designed as a 'virtual water collector' to raise questions 'about resources and sustainability based on current discussions on climate change'.

Describing the project, OSA director Karsten Huneck said: 'Leeds International Pool, which was constructed in the 1960s, exhibits all the "swank" and "jauntiness" of the swinging sixties.

'This is also reflected in the shape of the funnel, which has the virtual function to create a gateway to discussions about standards for modern buildings.'

He added: 'Now that the building is deemed not to be energy efficient, and would need extensive repair, the decision has been made to demolish it.'

The installation will go on public view on 21 February.

From the same source (requires a subscription unfortunately)

Brewster Bye wins thumbs-up for Leeds city-centre scheme - images
Published: 30 April 2007 11:11

Leeds City Council has approved this £150 million development by Brewster Bye Architects for a derelict site on the edge of Leeds city centre.

[raddileeds]

Originally Posted by gothicform

26 floors can be 24 storeys. storeys excludes the ground floor and any plant floor on the top.

You got it the wrong way round mate. storeys includes the ground floor, floors excludes the ground floor (unless your in america then there both the same)

[tomd89]

The art installation looks interesting I must admit. Strange since they are going to demolish it soon.

[gothicform]

You got it the wrong way round mate. storeys includes the ground floor, floors excludes the ground floor (unless your in america then there both the same)

no it doesnt. ive read literally hundreds of planning applications on this. i guess they must all be wrong.

[Leeds No.1]

Although I have absolutely no knowledge of that, it would make more sense for the latter to be true.

[Rob]

Number of storeys quoted normally includes the ground floor, and sums up all the habitable floors from ground up. CTBUH takes height measurments from the ground level (which has the main entrance) to the top of the structure, and counts all storeys in the number of storeys quoted.

[raddileeds]

Take cottingley towers for example. We know that its 25 storeys, but it only goes up to floor 24 because the first one is ground level then it moves to first floor, then second and so on until 24th floor which is at the top.

[Rob]

That's how I see it, there is G and 1-24, but it is a 25 storey building (similarly, a bungalow is a 1 storey building, and a house with an upstairs is a 2 storey building, etc).

[raddileeds]

Thankyou

[rich-leeds]

Now here's an interesting thing - has appeared on the latest 'new plans list':

Reference:
08/01151/LA/C

Applicant:
Leeds City Council

Description:
Use of former swimming pool site as temporary short stay pay and display car park

Location
Leeds International Swimming Pool, Westgate, Leeds, LS1 4PH

Grid Ref: 429366433635

Valid
27/02/08

Notable that the City Council is the applicant. It would appear from online system that this is for the whole site too - in fact they could probably get away with using the existing car park without further consent anyway. I wonder if that means the city are going to fund the demolition too? Probably all wound up in some complex agreements I can't hope to second guess!

[wiggleyleeds]

or maybe they just plan on using it as car park forever, like criterion place

[Rob]

Looks like this one has gone the way of the Dodo.

Reasons given appear to be a combination of the current residential market and the particularly expensive design, which the planners wouldn't allow any slackening of standards.

"A FUTURISTIC high rise tower block which was to have been the centrepiece of a £160m regeneration of the former Leeds International Pool site has been scrapped.

The 24-storey Spiracle Tower has fallen victim to the faltering residential property market. The skyscraper – also known as the "Poppadom Tower" – was designed by London architects Make, whose Ken Shuttleworth is the man behind the capital's famed "gherkin" high-rise block. Lead developer on the scheme, and partner with Leeds City Council, is HBG. Frasers, formerly known as Fairbriar, became, in Mr Stacey's words, "a kind of silent partner" after original residential partner Barrett withdrew. Property agent Jonathan Morgan, who advised Leeds University on its 2007 City Living report, believes the ditching of the scheme could be the tip of a much larger iceberg. He said: "This news comes as no surprise because the rate of residential delivery in Leeds has been outstripping the rate of take up. "With the lack of available of finance for developers, and the amount of properties in the planning pipeline (around 25,000) there will be many more residential schemes mothballed." He said these would be in peripheral locations on the edge of the city centre. Central, good quality schemes were still performing well, he added. Doubts over the future of the site emerged earlier this year but Leeds City Council remains bullish about its future.

Andrew Stacey, head of the Leeds office of Frasers Property Development, which was to have developed the building, told the YEP: "The decision to pull out of the scheme was taken for a number of reasons. "The credit crunch was part of that but there was also a degree of inflexibility from Leeds City Council. "The scheme was expensive and we were looking for some relaxation in what was being proposed to make it more economically viable." A spokesman for Leeds City Council said: "Negotiations are still on going and are very positive. Both ourselves and HBG are committed to creating a £160m development worthy of such an important site to the city."A revised plan for this site without the Spiracle Tower – which only accounted for 20 per cent of the original scheme – is already on the way and we intend to begin demolition of the old pool building in September."

YEP, 25 April 08

[hella good]

Sorry to hear that this got scrapped guys, i read about it in this weeks AJ.

[lewisskinner]

Sorry to hear about this one guys - it was a great proposal!

The developers seemed to be blaming the building of too many apartments in Leeds, stating that supply has outstripped demand and that with the current economic climate, this is no longer viable.

What does this mean for other residential/primarily residential schemes in Leeds?

[Suburban Knight]

shame, it looked a bit like an updated version of image hosted on flickr