Architect clads Leeds Metropolitan University development in steel alloy used on the Angel of the North

Feilden Clegg Bradley's £50m development for Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) has been completed.

Broadcasting Place, developed by property group Downing, includes 110,000 sq ft of teaching and office space for LMU and 240 student residences housed in a 23-storey tower.

The development, on Woodhouse Lane in the city centre, represents the largest single use of Cor-Ten cladding in Europe. The material, a steel alloy which was used on the Angel of the North, oxidises over time to give a stunning deep-red colour.

The new buildings represent the largest investment in arts and humanities education in Leeds for a century and have now been occupied by about 300 staff and 4,000 students from LMU’s Faculty of Arts and Society.

Paul Houghton, development director at Downing, said: “The development represents a significant achievement - this was a complex site, within a conservation area. Working in partnership with English Heritage, CABE and Leeds Metropolitan University we have brought about a development that is visually stunning and equips thousands of Leeds’ students with unrivalled teaching and accommodation facilities.”

In addition to the new structures, Downing has preserved the Grade II listed former BBC North headquarters, Broadcasting House, and created a new Baptist church which will be formally opened and consecrated in November.

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