LBY Archives: 1990

The Corn Exchange, Leeds

Interior closeup of the Grade 1 listed Corn Exchange in Leeds historic interior building with a curved balcony, ornate trim, large arched windows with oval openings, a decorative clock, and a glass domed ceiling with metal framework.

This much celebrated, award winning project transformed the Grade 1 listed Corn Exchange in Leeds into a speciality shopping centre. 

With a unique oval footprint and a domed roof of lattice steelwork, this decaying landmark building from 1861 has been re-vitalised by bold restoration and contemporary design interventions. It has been trading successfully since 1990 when it became a catalyst for the regeneration of The Calls area of central Leeds.

“The scheme has responded sympathetically to the dichotomy in Brodrick’s own work – the combination of nineteenth century technology with historicist (in this case, Renaissance) detailing.

The essential character of the Leeds Corn Exchange is that it is a public building with an open, comprehensible interior – unlike the typical shopping mall.”

KEN POWELL, ARCHITECTS JOURNAL

A full landscape interior view of the Grade 1 listed Corn Exchange in Leeds historic shopping arcade with a glass-domed ceiling, multiple levels of shops, and staircases leading to the upper floors.

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