[LeedsLad]

In the YEP tonight is the (good?) news that 3 70's council towers in Swarcliffe are being demolished and replaced with more modern low-rise housing. Given these towers were quite tall it will make quite a difference to the skyline.
It got me thinking as more and more developments take place in Leeds, we are bound to lose some of the older buildings, so here is a thread to discuss/remember them...
Maybe a place for failed proposals too...

 

[ls12]

Yorkshire Post

Not so much a building,but a landmark all the same,has anyone noticed the clock on the yorkshire post building has been given a facelift.
the old blue lady will be sorely missed in my opinion,and was a real feature of the leeds skyline. :no:

 

[Barking Spider]

Always had a fondness for Seacroft Hosptal clock tower in the same neck of the woods. Hope it doesn't disappear when the hospital finaly closes.

 

[livefrom]

YEP being torn down?

Not so much a building,but a landmark all the same,has anyone noticed the clock on the yorkshire post building has been given a facelift.
the old blue lady will be sorely missed in my opinion,and was a real feature of the leeds skyline. :no:

Oh, yes. I loved that blue lady. The whole thing is going down, right? At least, I heard that somewhere....

 

[Rob]

Oh, yes. I loved that blue lady. The whole thing is going down, right? At least, I heard that somewhere....

I doubt it !

When I saw the old blue top coming off, I thought they would do something exciting with it, big dot matrix or video screens on the four faces or something else flashy - totally dissapointing to see just plain panels !

 

[Leeds No.1]

Id rather see them build a new landmark building on the site than demolish it and move away- its the perfect place for a big, dominant office block.

 

[Rob]

It's good to have Yorkshire Post in the centre of Leeds, it is a big paper covering the whole of the Yorkshire region, I believe one of the biggest regionals in the country, so it is in its rightful place in the region's capital. I would therefore rather see it remain where it is in its concrete box than loose it out of central Leeds even for a flashy new building there.

It is also good and important to have YTV and regional BBC based here in the region's capital, at least they have both invested heavily in their respective HQs.

 

[livefrom]

YEP forever

Well, I kind of love that building and I think it would be good to keep/have a variety of representative types of architecture in the city. With the international swimming pool going down, there won't be any other examples of the brutalist style in Leeds except the YEP, right?

 

[Monsoon]

Well, I kind of love that building and I think it would be good to keep/have a variety of representative types of architecture in the city. With the international swimming pool going down, there won't be any other examples of the brutalist style in Leeds except the YEP, right?

its horrible, but maybe a reminder of why its so bad will be good. i guess thats why the listed some of the hume estate buildings.

 

[di Livio]

Well, I kind of love that building and I think it would be good to keep/have a variety of representative types of architecture in the city. With the international swimming pool going down, there won't be any other examples of the brutalist style in Leeds except the YEP, right?

Driving through Leeds a few years ago, that building provoked a 'grim north' comment from my exiled sister as a smug southerner sat in the back of the car, reinforcing his prejudices.

I only like brutalism when it's in someone elses city. It sends out all the wrong messages for this one.

 

[livefrom]

Well, don't get me going on smug southerners, and they're not my compass for jack when it comes to the north. But why would one brutalist building send out the wrong messages for Leeds? Could one not legitimately argue, as Leeds is historically known as never having one industrial money stream, that architectural variety is a better reflection of Leeds's historial reality?

 

[JOliver]

Well, I kind of love that building and I think it would be good to keep/have a variety of representative types of architecture in the city. With the international swimming pool going down, there won't be any other examples of the brutalist style in Leeds except the YEP, right?

Well you will still have Merion Centre to adore if YEP goes down.

 

[LeedsLad]

I'm hoping, one day, to have the Merrion Centre in this thread....

 

[Leeds No.1]

Id rather see the Merrion go than the YP. Although the actual YP buildign isn't 'impressive', I always liked the clock tower thing- and I liked the clock on the Halifax too pity its gone.

 

[Val Verde]

Well I posted a few days ago on the Official Leeds Thread about whether anyone knew the height of the now demolished Leeds Permanent Tower as featured on the quotation below:

Also how tall was Leeds Permanent Tower (the tower on the right of Dudley House and what is now K2 and situated where the Light is) from this picture from circa 1992. Although bland and unattractive how come was this demolished and not extensively refurbished and are there any decent pictures anywhere of this as it seems to be the forgotten tower in Leeds City Centre?

Also how come is this tower not listed as demolished on any websites such as SkyscraperPage or Skyscraper News as it certainly existed and appeared to have a height of at least 60 metres and what was the decision for demolition as opposed to refurbishment like other 1960s towers accross Leeds.

 

[jrb]

Leeds United's promotion hopes.

 

[livefrom]

Well you will still have Merion Centre to adore if YEP goes down.

In a strange kind of way living in Leeds has led me to think that there's no such thing as "bad architecture." Sure, when I walk by "west point" or whatever it's called -- the Linfoot bunkers -- I imagine Albert Speer writing to Hitler and saying, 'don't worry Adie, we didn't lose completely, enormous buildings as statements of pure power win out.' But for the most part, I can find some joy in any building as a reflection of its time and hopes and exigencies. Yes, I confess, there are aspects of the Merrion Centre I don't find execrable -- not the interior but the use of materials on the facades (if I understand what actually constitutes the Merrion Centre -- is the pagoda building part of the Merrion Centre?)

Weren't Victorian buildings loathesome to many -- isn't that why they were town down? And now we mostly prize them?

 

[Monsoon]

In a strange kind of way living in Leeds has led me to think that there's no such thing as "bad architecture." Sure, when I walk by "west point" or whatever it's called -- the Linfoot bunkers -- I imagine Albert Speer writing to Hitler and saying, 'don't worry Adie, we didn't lose completely, enormous buildings as statements of pure power win out.' But for the most part, I can find some joy in any building as a reflection of its time and hopes and exigencies. Yes, I confess, there are aspects of the Merrion Centre I don't find execrable -- not the interior but the use of materials on the facades (if I understand what actually constitutes the Merrion Centre -- is the pagoda building part of the Merrion Centre?)

Weren't Victorian buildings loathesome to many -- isn't that why they were town down? And now we mostly prize them?

lol well I’m young and I’ve always asked why we don’t build like we used to. Personally I think there much more interesting to observe than steel etc., I hope they rebuild some of the lost Victorian buildings along Briggate, e.g. the Debenhams building. And then arcade king Edward Street!

 

[Leeds No.1]

I don't think they should rebuild any lost Victorian buildings- theoretically yes but they'll probably turn out rubbish and look like cheap replicas. So no. Id rather see a contrasting modern building that looks good against the surroundings. Not sure what to think about King Edward Street- if its done to the same quality as the existing VQ then yes but we don't want Leeds City Centre turning into a huge shopping centre! It has beautiful buildings but always seems a bit dull. I doubt it will be arcaded though- or not soon anyway. They should uplight the buildings though- not just the VQ but the market, Headrow buildings- any old buildings really.

 

[di Livio]

I hope they rebuild some of the lost Victorian buildings along Briggate, e.g. the Debenhams building.

Do you mean the Parisian/Italian-looking Burtons building that used to be next to M&S? That would be nice, but i'm much more excited about the revitalising effect Trinity Quarter will have on the lower end of Briggate. Even with the repaving, there's still a lack of life down that end. Maybe a few pavement cafes would liven things up.