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Tower Works, Globe Rd | 2 new bldgs - 245 apts | 11 & 9 fl | Completed 2023

279K views 1K replies 133 participants last post by  Slow Burn 
#1 ·


Longstanding plans to regenerate an area central to Leeds’ industrial heritage have taken a major step forward after construction giant Carillion submitted a planning application with the aim of getting the £80m project underway early in 2016.

Tower Works is located to the north of Globe Road on the south side of Leeds city centre, within the Holbeck area. Originally established as a pin factory for the textile industry in the 1860s, the works, which closed in 1981, have long been earmarked for regeneration.

Home to the historic Engine House and three striking Italianate towers, it is a key site in the city's 336-acre South Bank development – one of the biggest regeneration projects in Europe which also covers the old Tetley Brewery and Allied London's Leeds Dock mixed-use scheme.

Several permissions have been granted for the redevelopment of Tower Works, but only the first phase, involving buildings fronting the central part of Globe Road, was completed in 2011/12 and is occupied by 20 small businesses.

Earlier this year, Carillion was appointed by the Homes & Communities Agency as its preferred development partner and has now submitted detailed plans for the site ahead of a potential start early in 2016. The scheme is scheduled to be carried out in three phases.

Included within the plans are: a residential development of 158 units, ranging from one-bedroom flats to five-bedroom townhouses; 128,000 sq ft of office space and retail space of up to 4,000 sq ft. At ground level, adjacent to public routes, shops, restaurants and cafes and drinking establishments will occupy a further 16,000 sq ft.

The grade II-listed Engine House will be conserved and reused as the centrepiece of the development. A mixed-use leisure facility under a single operator is proposed, incorporating an art house cinema, microbrewery, bar and restaurant.

High quality public realm is also said to have been a “key design driver”, with nearly half the site area given over to pedestrian space. A large open public piazza which aims to "respond" to the Engine House, the Giotto Tower and the Verona Tower will be located at the heart of the development, supplemented by other interconnected public spaces around the development.

Initial plans for the scheme were scrutinised by the council’s planning committee in the summer when members were said to be “highly complementary” about the contextual approach adopted in the design and the character of the development. The contemporary use of local, traditional materials within a 19th century context was also applauded.

A number of concerns were also raised, however, including the overbearing nature of the proposals against the grade II-listed Globe Quay building fronting the canal and the proximity of the proposed massing against the site’s listed buildings, in particular the Verona Tower.

The relationship with the neighbouring Granary Wharf car park site and the developments proposed for that location was another concern raised.

According to documents now filed, the development team believe these concerns have been addressed while the response to a public consultation has also been positive.

As well as Tower Works, other South Bank projects in the works include the redevelopment of the former Tetley’s Brewery site, the creation of a £50m trenchcoat factory for luxury fashion brand Burberry and the soon-to-be-completed southern entrance to Leeds train station.
 
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#399 ·
oh my god calm down people. It’s not that different from the *disclaimer - unviable, never-gonna-be-built, might as well forget it exists* previous scheme. Apart from external balconies it’s basically the same with similar height, brick material palette, vertical banding with windows - if anything the new scheme is more elegant without those crappy rainscreen roof ‘extensions’.

This development has to remain low-key to maintain the prominence of the towers, as has already been mentioned on here today. I’m guessing ‘worse than a prison’ is sarcastic but honestly, you’d think they’d just applied to have all the towers knocked down to make way for a selection of Persimmon identikit detached houses.
 
#402 ·
the building is fine but not good enough for that location. value engineering happens everywhere but this is bad. leeds cc seems to be too open to accepting this crap but then again as mentioned with the Ian Simpson scheme maybe leeds just isn't financially viable when it comes to rental income. this scheme looks like the crap I would have produced in my first or 2nd year of architecture school. Also why is there no active front onto the canal for people to enjoy?? shouldn't that be a main focal point of the site along with the tower and central square area??!!
 
#403 ·
I'm not sure if it is just a bad render because all of the water facing ground floor units are planned to be commercial or leisure use, so an active frontage should be expected.

The design is frustrating mainly because I don't think it would take very much to make it look good. The whole canal facing side just looks too 'flat' if that makes sense.
 
#406 ·
it just looks like the sort of design from early concept stage. undeveloped and lacking any real detail or architectural interest/merit. I'm trying to imagine what precedent images they used as references or how they would sell such a project in a meeting. oh btw we used brick because it's an industrial site and the towers have brick. that was our design process. really???!!! anything else. nope that's as far as we got sorry. thing is to make this scheme slightly more interesting wouldn't cost that much more. this is either poor planning by the council or developers not really being that bothered as long as they sell.
 
#408 ·
I actually quite like these and think some of the criticism is way over the top. The previous scheme was generally the same height and had a building very similar to this along the canalside which blocked the Towers just as much and built right up to and hemmed in the Verona Tower and chimney. There is also much greater public realm space in the new design.

Quality I suppose is in the eye of the beholder, but given that Mustard Wharf has been quoted to cost £55/60m then this must be approaching the c£80m Carrillion budget as its a much bigger site with vastly more public realm and bigger footprints.

Having said that, and taking into account the need for more residential/PRS - I would prefer something different. My idea would be to build an office block across the end of the site next to Globe Quay which could be 7-9 storey with part of it designed for further small tech start ups like those already accomodated here. The rest would fill quickly given the lack of new office space around. Then convert the engine building into commercial/cafe/restaurant/art center etc. Then make the rest into pocket park which would go right up to the Mustard Wharf buildings and the canal. This would make a great space and preserve the view of the Towers.
 
#410 ·
Only just seen the latest renders, and not impressed at all!

It's right next to the river, yet the windows are tiny and there are only a few (enclosed) balconies?!

Floor to ceiling windows and balconies all along next to the river would without doubt result in higher priced apartments, and surely maximum return on investment is what it's all about for the developer at the end of the day?!

The red brick is nice, and gives and air of quality - but overall this looks like a missed opportunity.
 
#411 ·
I’ve looked again at the renders and all the windows I can see are floor to ceiling. It’s surprising and rather disappointing, though, to see that the external balconies seem to have been removed from the proposals. But I’m sure that some people will prefer the smoother facade - just comes down to taste, I suppose.

What I miss most, however, is the sawtooth roofs we would have seen on some of the buildings. It would be lovely if they could be reinstated.
 
#412 ·
yeah, after looking at the new blocks in more detail i think that if we hadn't seen the more gothic looking renders with the sawtooth rooves we'd be more impressed with these new proposals. They do look good, nice brick etc. but they're just not as distinctive or in the same neo industrial cyber punk bracket :) as the previous Hamburg-esque renders which would have had more of a wow factor imo.
 
#413 ·
The roof that everyone seems to miss was nowt more than a rainscreen extension plonked on the top of an otherwise nice design. Who knows, maybe they could do that in the future anyway.

As it is, it’s a solid design, with decent materials, big windows, balconies internal to the design that don’t clutter the facade (people don’t seem to mind candle house!), and commercial opportunities facing on to the river. We want high quality? This is pretty damn close.

As for the perceived overuse of brick in the area... let’s worry about that when we have more than one development actually underway.

Subliving.
 
#414 ·
The latest proposal does certainly look a bit bland although at least it offers plenty of red brick. However the Tower Works towers certainly need to be kept as visible as possible and surely this is a site where low-rise development would be more desirable to preserve the views of the Tower Works buildings which would be lost if a tall building is built at that site.
 
#415 ·
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/contractor-appointed-on-landmark-leeds-scheme

Contractor appointed on landmark Leeds scheme

A lead contractor has been appointed for a new development of build-to-rent (BTR) apartments on a landmark site central to Leeds' industrial heritage.

Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd has been appointed by Richardson and Ask Real Estate Ltd to build the Tower Works scheme on Globe Road in Leeds City Centre. It follows the submission of a planning application earlier this month (June 2019).

The project team also includes engineering firm WSP; Ryder Architecture, which designed the 245-unit scheme, and project manager and QS Faithful and Gould.

Two new residential buildings providing one-, two- and three-bedroom and duplex apartments will be built on the historic Tower Works site, to the south of the railway station.

Ground floor commercial units will be created as well as extensive new areas of public realm to enable a pedestrian route through from the city centre to the Holbeck Urban Village neighbourhood.

"We are thrilled to be appointed as lead contractor on Tower Works for Richardson," said Mark Gibson, managing director for the Scotland and Northern Region at Sir Robert McAlpine. "We are already involved in the regeneration of the South Bank with the adjacent Mustard Wharf development, and this scheme is an exciting addition.

"The team looks forward to starting construction on site and continuing to work with the skilled local workforce."

Ben Holmes, real estate director for Richardson, added: "The early appointment of Sir Robert McAlpine as main contractor demonstrates our clear intention to make an immediate start on site following the determination of planning. Not only are they one of the leading construction companies with a solid track record but they are already active in Leeds on a neighbouring site and they have the team, skills and equipment in place to start on site straight away."
 
#423 ·
19/05003/FU | Application for enabling works to facilitate the development of the site comprising servicing diversion and removal of underground flues, demolition of existing walls, demolition of concrete slabs, masonry and basement, canal remedial works, earthworks and piling. | Tower Works Globe Road Holbeck Leeds LS11 5QG
https://publicaccess.leeds.gov.uk/o...ils.do?keyVal=PW40QTJBL2X00&activeTab=summary

A new application has been submitted to allow enabling works to proceed. I guess they want these to be determined so they don't have to wait for lots of pre-commencement condition to be discharged after the main planning application has been determined.
 
#424 ·
^^

This makes perfect sense as they had already put steel fencing along the waterside as shown on this pic. When I saw that I immediately thought that was to demolish the wall running up to Globe Quay, and that is included in the planning app. We can also say that this is going to be built, as the same contractor as Mustard Wharf has been appointed.

P8271755tw by tigerman687, on Flickr
 
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