Tower, Leeds

Broadcasting Place earns an unexpected distinction among tall buildings.

LEEDS (UK) - In the current age of phenomenally super-tall buildings, a modest height of 70 metres seems rather inconsequential. Despite that, the tower at Broadcasting Place in Leeds, designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, has recently been awarded the title of world's Best Tall Building by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

Featured in A10 #34, as well as in the latest A10 yearbook, the boldly sculptural Cor-Ten and glass mixed-use development and its distinctive tower, which was early on dubbed with nicknames like 'Rust-bucket' and the 'Marmite Building', express an industrial earthiness that lends itself to a natural integration of the site's two existing buildings that were kept intact – a gothic-style Baptist church and neoclassical Quaker meeting house, both dating from the 1860s. Comparisons can easily be drawn, in varying colour and offset form, with stratifications of rock, while the sheltered open spaces of the mixed-use development create a comfortable, contrasting intimacy of old and new. In short, the fluent and thoughtful treatment of the site – and especially the striking presence of the tower – has garnered both international attention and well-deserved praise, as the CTBUH now confirms. 'The changing angular geometry and shear gusto of cladding simply blew the judges away during deliberations.' (Dutton R. Hauhart)

In this David and Goliath story, Broadcasting Tower (70 metres) was shortlisted against the giants of the Bank of America tower in New York (366 metres), the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai (828 metres) and the Pinnacle at Duxton, Singapore (163 metres). The selection process began earlier this year when the CTBUH selected the four best tallest buildings erected in 2010 from the four world regions, Broadcasting Tower was then selected as the best tall building in Europe. The CTBUH Awards recognize projects and individuals that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and that achieve sustainability at the highest and broadest level.

Alex Whitbread, partner and architect at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, comments: 'To win this award against such a remarkable shortlist is both an honour and a coup for everyone involved in the project. This is a testament to the collaboration between Downing, Leeds Metropolitan University and the overall design team to create a major new academic focus and significant new piece of city and skyline. We hope that Broadcasting Place shows that it is possible to build bold contemporary architecture in sensitive contexts and that tall buildings can both complement and contrast successfully with their surroundings.'