This ground-breaking tower design was shortlisted for the final plot at Sovereign Square, Leeds. The design by Think Architecture was in collaboration with structural engineers AKT2 and environmental consultants Hoare Lee, working for the Deansgate Developments team.
The mixed-use tower would have been the tallest building in the City at the potential interface of HS2 with the existing Leeds City Station. Uses included leisure at ground and first floors, incorporating both hotel and residential entrances. The existing car park was extended over to provide additional project parking facilities with a hotel at mid-level over. The upper floors of the tower were designed for residential apartments with a segmental design based on bamboo structure.
The tower was topped off with a public roof top enclosed rooftop garden and sky bar providing views across the city and beyond.
Extensive use of gardens, including trees, were proposed throughout the height of the building, providing natural amenity space for both residents and visitors to the building. The base of the building was developed as a winter garden incorporating part of the existing landscaped square providing sheltered public amenity space and resolving any issues with downdraft from the tower structure.
The curved plan form of the building was developed with AKT2 to deal with wind flow over the buildings surface and avoiding wind turbulence issues.
