City House | Re-Clad | 52m | 15fl

[Leeds No.1]

What's the status of this? Haven't heard anything for a while, but didn't the tenants vacate?

[Val Verde]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

What's the status of this? Haven't heard anything for a while, but didn't the tenants vacate?

Yes all the tenants which were in this building have now vacated City House and the current state of this building is that builders are currently stripping this building out. Other then that I don't know anything regarding how it will look, timescales etc.

[Jim856796]

The City House is technically an office building, though its exterior makes it look like a hotel.

[Val Verde]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

The City House is technically an office building, though its exterior makes it look like a hotel.

Eh? I don't mean to be rude but what do you mean that City House looks like a hotel? Unless you got mixed up with another building it certainly does look like an office building in my book albiet a rather poor looking one at that.

image hosted on flickr

[Jim856796]

So this building is supposed a new exterior in the future to make it look like a real office building.

[mark*ie]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

So this building is supposed a new exterior in the future to make it look like a real office building.

No It's just having a reclad mate

[aviator]

The refurb proposals are going before the Plans Panel next week (see here for the paper).

As we already knew, there's no extension to the building's height but it is going to be extended to the south on supports cantilevered over the station. It'll be mainly curtain glazing to the north and south, and the red/brown brick at the ends and around the central core will be replaced with a cladding called 'Carea'. It's a pale stone substitute and has apparently be used at Cartier House at Clarence Dock.

[Jim856796]

Originally Posted by mark*ie

No It's just having a reclad mate

Zero-brain, reclads usually mean you strip off the old exterior facade and put in a completely new one.

[mark*ie]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

Zero-brain, reclads usually mean you strip off the old exterior facade and put in a completely new one.

It looks nothing like a hotel ! Maybe we should delete the reference to a reclad from the title of the thread ? You teutonic twat !

[Jim856796]

Well then, the City House and its renovation project are stupid.

[SirCWilson]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

Well then, the City House and its renovation project are stupid.

Yeah! Take that, stupid building!

[Val Verde]

Article in today's YEP about Colliers CRE being appointed as Joint Agent for the City House scheme: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.u...for.4374449.jp

Office agency clinches deal for Leeds city centre rail station building

THE office agency department of property consultant Colliers CRE in Leeds has been appointed by Kenmore Property Group as joint agent for City House in Leeds city centre.

A planning application was submitted earlier this year for the redevelopment of the landmark building, situated directly above Leeds city train station.

When completed in autumn 2009, City House will offer just over 130,000 sq ft of flexible space over 13 floors and parking for around 79 vehicles.

The accommodation will be available to let either as a whole or in part.

Roddy Morrison, director of Office Agency at Colliers CRE in Leeds, said: "We are delighted to have been appointed to market City House as it will become one of the best and most prominent office developments within Leeds city centre.

"It is being delivered at a time of both considerable under supply and sustained levels of demand for prime Grade A space located in the very heart of the city and its core business district."

Kenmore Property Group bought City House in 2006 with a view to regenerating the building.

It is expected that work will begin later this year.

Completion is scheduled for November 2009.

CB Richard Ellis is also representing Kenmore.

I guess this development will be too small for the possible JP Morgan location within Leeds which despite it's ideal next door to train station location it would be around 10,000 sq m too small and I guess JP Morgan won't want a second smaller office near to here and would like everything under one roof.

Originally Posted by Jim856796

Well then, the City House and its renovation project are stupid.

Im confused. May I ask what had interested you in this development as opposed to other development in Leeds City Centre and just why you believe it is somehow looks like a hotel even if it never has been unless you are of course having a laugh for some reason. You don't happen to be mixing this up with the nearby Hilton or Park Plaza Hotels by any chance?

[Bradley Hardacre]

Originally Posted by Val Verde

Article in today's YEP about Colliers CRE being appointed as Joint Agent for the City House scheme: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.u...for.4374449.jp



I guess this development will be too small for the possible JP Morgan location within Leeds which despite it's ideal next door to train station location it would be around 10,000 sq m too small and I guess JP Morgan won't want a second smaller office near to here and would like everything under one roof.

Why is this too small? I thought JP Morgan are looking for 50,000 sq ft and this is 130,000 sq ft. They might prefer larger, squarer floorplates though.

[Val Verde]

Originally Posted by Bradley Hardacre

Why is this too small? I thought JP Morgan are looking for 50,000 sq ft and this is 130,000 sq ft. They might prefer larger, squarer floorplates though.

Whoops it is 50,000 sq ft and not 50,000 sq m as I first thought. http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....ation-bluebird Guess this would be a good location for JP Morgan considering it is right next to the railway station, it has room for 79 cars on site and that there are additional car parks in vicinity to City House anyway I guess this could be a good bet for their location in Leeds if they decide to be sited here.

Sorry to go off topic but how much office space is there in the NatWest building on Park Row which has recently been refurbished, at the office section of the Broadgate development (former Lewis's) on the Headrow and at the former Royal & Sun Alliance offices at the St Johns Centre which have also been in process of refurbishment and could either of those be possible locations for JP Morgan all of which should be complete for relatively soon?

[aviator]

From today's YEP:



Touch of glass for 'worst' eyesore in Leeds




18 August 2008


By Nigel Scott, Business Editor


AN office building which is arguably the worst eyesore on the Leeds skyline is to be transformed into a "striking architectural statement."

Leeds City Council has approved plans for a new-look City House. Built in 1962, the office block was designed by disgraced Yorkshire architect John Poulson. It stands above Leeds City Station and is a prominent feature of the skyline, particularly for visitors arriving by rail.

Now commercial property investment and development company Kenmore Property Group is to embark on its extensive redevelopment. The entire building is to be re-clad with full-height glazed curtain walling which the company said would improve "the visual presence when viewed from the north and the south of the city" and, in particular, "provide a dominant and architecturally expressive view from City Square."

The prominent building was formerly occupied by The Department for Transport. When redeveloped it will offer more than 130,000 sq ft of grade A office space, over 13 floors, with parking for nearly 80 cars.

James Scott, Kenmore Property Group associate director, said: "The plans also address the current understated entrance and the building's awkward geometry."

John Thorp, civic architect for Leeds, said: "The refurbishment of City House is important due to the prominence of the building at the entrance to our city for many visitors and business people. The new City House will provide sustainable office accommodation, with very strong links to public transport. It will transform a 1960s building into a striking architectural statement on the city skyline."

Kenmore bought City House in 2006 with a view to regenerating what it described as a "tired and dilapidated" building. The company intends to start work early next month and hopes it will be completed in late autumn, next year.

Mr Scott added: "The overall design of this development complements its surroundings and will provide a landmark within Leeds city centre. It will also be delivered at a time of both considerable under supply and strong forecasted demand for prime space."

[skyfitsboy]

There's also an article on today's ConstructionMall about the City House reclad, more or less the same as the article above but with a different render.

[TonyYeboah]

Sweet

Imagine how much better this view will be

[gothicform]

about time. i didnt mention this but i visited leeds a few weeks ago. well the train had a stop over there and i thought i'd have a quick look around. i stepped out of the station and was immediately greeted by a scene that looked like urban hell. this was a major british city centre???? ugly pieces of shit buildings everywhere, confusing road layouts, poor pedestrian permeability, etc. i was planning to walk to bridgewater place but had no idea how the hell to get there!

i realise now it's because neville street runs UNDER this building. i assumed the building was just a wall, pedestrians shouldn't have to explore a labyrinthine street layout. looking at it in google earth, they need to sort out new station street, bishopsgate street, and mill hill because frankly right now its nothing short of horrific. the sooner they fix this building the better because my immediate thought of leeds was "what a shit hole!" even though i know from this forum it isn't.

i did make it up to the town hall in the end which upset me almost as much, victoria square was sliced in half by a road, the purity that the area should have had was ruined. check out sheffield, liverpool to see how this should be done properly. leeds badly needs decent public space as soon as you step out of its railway station.

[SirCWilson]

Originally Posted by gothicform

about time. i didnt mention this but i visited leeds a few weeks ago. well the train had a stop over there and i thought i'd have a quick look around. i stepped out of the station and was immediately greeted by a scene that looked like urban hell. this was a major british city centre???? ugly pieces of shit buildings everywhere, confusing road layouts, poor pedestrian permeability, etc. i was planning to walk to bridgewater place but had no idea how the hell to get there!

i realise now it's because neville street runs UNDER this building. i assumed the building was just a wall, pedestrians shouldn't have to explore a labyrinthine street layout. looking at it in google earth, they need to sort out new station street, bishopsgate street, and mill hill because frankly right now its nothing short of horrific. the sooner they fix this building the better because my immediate thought of leeds was "what a shit hole!" even though i know from this forum it isn't.

i did make it up to the town hall in the end which upset me almost as much, victoria square was sliced in half by a road, the purity that the area should have had was ruined. check out sheffield, liverpool to see how this should be done properly. leeds badly needs decent public space as soon as you step out of its railway station.

Righto, see you all on page 7 when this has blown over.

[Val Verde]

Originally Posted by aviator

From today's YEP:

Touch of glass for 'worst' eyesore in Leeds

Good news to see approval for this scheme and renders too. Should certainly be a big improvement having a glazed frontage although the main question is to see how the white sides turn out. I have also noticed a much larger picture of this scheme on the Kenmore Property Group website:



However it appears that at ground floor level on New Station Street is still just a plain wall. Is there reason why there can't be a street level frontage here perhaps used by small retail units as that would certainly improve the appearance of this building at ground level? Is it used as a plant floor or substation which is the reasoning for a blank wall at ground floor? So I take it that work will start immediately considering people are already on site and how many cranes will we expect to see?

Originally Posted by gothicform

about time. i didnt mention this but i visited leeds a few weeks ago. well the train had a stop over there and i thought i'd have a quick look around. i stepped out of the station and was immediately greeted by a scene that looked like urban hell. this was a major british city centre???? ugly pieces of shit buildings everywhere, confusing road layouts, poor pedestrian permeability, etc. i was planning to walk to bridgewater place but had no idea how the hell to get there!

Thats a bit harsh Gothicform. Surely every city has its good and bad as I can see when venturing out of various cities main stations across the UK. I presume you walked down towards the bottom end of the Leeds Shopping Plaza which really is a grotty place however I guess that is a bit of a lottery if you went the other way you could have reached City Square which is a nice place although I guess in it self it does have weak points such as the Park Plaza Hotel and a long empty plot of land where a new office building is meant to go with no news on when it will actually take place.

image hosted on flickr


However I believe the bottom end of Albion Street it is planned for improvement as part of the works to create Trinity Leeds however questions must be asked as to how comprehensive it will be as I believe it will be just a reclad of the existing buildings as opposed to comprehensive redevelopment of this part of the Trinity Site. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...240249&page=41

As for better access for places like Bridgewater Place there is a southern entrance to Leeds City planned to improve access to parts of the city south of the station although I haven't heard any news about this southern entrance which really should be constructed sooner rather than later.

As for Victoria Square it has had a road going across it for many years (I believe since the 19th Century) and as the Headrow is a main bus route wouldn't it be a bit difficult closing this part of the Headrow off although it is of course a good idea if something could be done in the future. Indeed I believe Victoria Square was due for improvements but government funding for improvements was declined although I didn't know what exactly was planned to improve the square. As for Neville Street which runs under the station improvements are also planned to improve it's appearance which should hopefully be completed for later this year. http://www.holbeckurbanvillage.co.uk...street/#/home/