La Lumiere
Encyclopedia
Lumiere was a mixed-use skyscraper
development in Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
, intended to be completed in 2010. The project was put on hold in 2008 and officially cancelled in 2010.
sorting office
, which had already seen a 65 metres (213.3 ft) tall former Royal Mail office reclad to become apartments called West Point
.
It was planned than Lumiere would consist of two towers of heights 54 storeys / 171 m (561 ft) and 32 storeys / 112 m (367.5 ft), both clad in glass, with the taller tower predominantly blue and the smaller tower of a reddish hue. The developers behind the project were KW Linfoot and Scarborough Development Group, and the designers were Ian Simpson Architects
and, for the structural design, WSP Group
. The construction was being carried out by Carillion.
If construction had proceeded the building would have housed a mixture of apartments, offices, shops, cafés, restaurants and a Winter Garden
. There would have been over 20000 sq ft (1,858.1 m²) of retail space and 10000 sq ft (929 m²) of usable office space in the development, and several restaurants and eating establishments. There would also have been around 650 apartments, communal areas and apartments designed by YOO designs.
If completed according to the original proposals, the tower would have become the tallest building in Leeds and Western Europe's tallest residential skyscraper. It would have exceeded the height of Beetham Tower Manchester
, to become the tallest building in the United Kingdom outside London
if completed before the Piccadilly Tower in Manchester
. On 21 July 2006 councillors approved the proposals, with construction scheduled to begin in 2007.
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Following the postponement of construction, it was announced that the developer had received approval from Leeds City Council to include an additional floor in each tower, the two towers now comprising 55 storeys and 33 storeys. This increased the planned height of each tower by 1 m (3.3 ft).
In February 2009 the developers of Lumiere, KW Linfoot, went into administration; the development was a joint venture and was taken over completely by KW Linfoot's joint venture partners. In August 2010, the owners of the Lumiere development announced they would enter voluntary liquidation, meaning the building will not now be built. The investors will recover their money as they are covered by an insurance policy.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
development in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, intended to be completed in 2010. The project was put on hold in 2008 and officially cancelled in 2010.
Design and planning
The project represented the second phase of the redevelopment of a Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
sorting office
Sorting office
Sorting office or Processing and Distribution Center is any location where postal operators bring mail after collection for sorting into batches for delivery to the addressee, which may be a direct delivery or sent onwards to another regional or local sorting office, or to another postal...
, which had already seen a 65 metres (213.3 ft) tall former Royal Mail office reclad to become apartments called West Point
West Point (Building)
West Point, formerly known as Royal Mail House, is a tall 17-floor tower block located at number 29 of Wellington Street in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was constructed in 1975 and renovated in 2005 as a huge redevelopment of the old Royal Mail building site, following their move to a new...
.
It was planned than Lumiere would consist of two towers of heights 54 storeys / 171 m (561 ft) and 32 storeys / 112 m (367.5 ft), both clad in glass, with the taller tower predominantly blue and the smaller tower of a reddish hue. The developers behind the project were KW Linfoot and Scarborough Development Group, and the designers were Ian Simpson Architects
Ian Simpson Architects
Ian Simpson Architects is an English architecture practice established in 1987 by Ian Simpson and Rachel Haugh. The practice is based in Manchester with offices in London....
and, for the structural design, WSP Group
WSP Group
WSP Group plc is a British-based business providing management and consultancy services to the built and natural environment. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
. The construction was being carried out by Carillion.
If construction had proceeded the building would have housed a mixture of apartments, offices, shops, cafés, restaurants and a Winter Garden
Winter Garden
Winter Garden may refer to:* A winter garden, winter-hardy plants grown for winter interest and decoration, or to be harvested for food between winter and early spring.-Places:* Winter Garden, California, former community in Kern County...
. There would have been over 20000 sq ft (1,858.1 m²) of retail space and 10000 sq ft (929 m²) of usable office space in the development, and several restaurants and eating establishments. There would also have been around 650 apartments, communal areas and apartments designed by YOO designs.
If completed according to the original proposals, the tower would have become the tallest building in Leeds and Western Europe's tallest residential skyscraper. It would have exceeded the height of Beetham Tower Manchester
Beetham Tower, Manchester
Beetham Tower is a landmark 47-storey residential skyscraper in Manchester city centre, England. Completed in 2006, it is named after the developers, Beetham Organization, was designed by Ian Simpson, and built by Carillion....
, to become the tallest building in the United Kingdom outside London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
if completed before the Piccadilly Tower in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. On 21 July 2006 councillors approved the proposals, with construction scheduled to begin in 2007.
Construction
Groundwork began with boreholes in spring 2007; throughout the late summer of 2007 the site was cleared. In September 2007 work commenced to excavate and remove the existing foundations and basement of the previous Royal Mail building. Substructure work began in early 2008, with the piling works completed by June 2008.Suspension
However, on 9 July 2008, developers KW Linfoot announced that the project had been put on hold due to the credit crunch, and construction would not resume until the economy stabilised.Following the postponement of construction, it was announced that the developer had received approval from Leeds City Council to include an additional floor in each tower, the two towers now comprising 55 storeys and 33 storeys. This increased the planned height of each tower by 1 m (3.3 ft).
In February 2009 the developers of Lumiere, KW Linfoot, went into administration; the development was a joint venture and was taken over completely by KW Linfoot's joint venture partners. In August 2010, the owners of the Lumiere development announced they would enter voluntary liquidation, meaning the building will not now be built. The investors will recover their money as they are covered by an insurance policy.