Bridgewater Place
Sobriquet: The Dalek
Description: Bridgewater Place has a height of 112 meters (367 ft) to roof level. Originally the tower was to have a spire which would have extended the height of the building to 137 meters (449 ft), however this was never built. Bridgewater Place has 32 stories, of which two are used for car parking, ten for offices and twenty for residential purposes. There is 40,000 square meters / 430,560 square feet of floor space in the building with 200 flats and 400 underground car parking spaces serving both the residential and commercial areas of the building.
History: The building was designed by Aedas Architects in concert with Landmark Development Projects, St James Securities and Bovis Lend Lease being the primary contractor. The development of the residential sections of the building were handled by KW Linfoot. Plans for the building were first announced in 2000, but a number of delays and design conflicts prevented the beginning of construction until 2004, with the building finally being completed in 2007. Since its completion it has been rated the tallest building in Leeds, despite arguments to the contrary, this remains true through the Second English Civil War.
In 2008, Building Design, the architectural journal, shortlisted Bridgewater Place for its annual Carbuncle Cup, which is awarded to 'buildings so ugly they freeze the heart'.
Before the onset of the Second English Civil War the building was home to a number of prestigious business firms: Eversheds, Ernst & Young, ghd, BDO Stoy Hayward and DWF LLP. Retail tenants include Tesco, Starbucks, Panini Shack and Philpotts.
Prior to the war, the residential spaces of Bridgewater Place were competitively listed as prestigious addresses located in the heart of Leeds city center.
Design Flaws: The building's shape appears to be responsible for accelerating winds in its immediate vicinity to the extent that pedestrians have experienced severe difficulties walking past. These winds have led to some of the entrances to the building being closed for safety reasons. To rectify these issues in the design may require the addition of 'vertical fins' to the facade of the building. In March 2011 a man was killed by a lorry overturning during windy conditions. On 5 December 2013 Leeds Deputy Coroner Melanie Williamson concluded the inquest and recommended the roads nearby should be closed to vehicles when wind speeds exceeded 45 mph. This was done on 6 December, though several pedestrians suffered injuries by being blown over.
Post War Circumstances:
