Leeds Corn Exchange
Encyclopedia
The Leeds Corn Exchange is a Victorian building
in Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
, which was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick
and completed in 1864. It currently houses a restaurant, a clothing boutique and a jewellery shop.
, a young Hull architect best known for Leeds Town Hall
, this Grade I listed structure was completed in 1862 and opened on 28 July 1863. Leeds Corn Exchange is now just one of three Corn Exchange
s in the country which still operates in its traditional capacity as a centre for trade, albeit no longer for trading in corn.
After the closure of the Corn Exchange, its condition deteriorated to such a degree that the building itself and the surrounding land became one of Leeds' most run down areas. Early proposals for the regeneration for this site had included turning the Corn Exchange into a concert hall similar to the Royal Albert Hall
.
was completely restored to its current state, with new staircases to allow shoppers access to the balcony and basement levels. It opened for trade in 1990. Many other old buildings have been restored in this area, now known as The Exchange Quarter.
As well as housing shops such as Ark Clothing
, On the wall (poster/photograph) which is now in a new site on Boar Lane, Culture Vulture now situated on Duncan Street and Eva (jewellery), the Leeds Corn Exchange also hosted exhibitions, events such as strut (fashion show)
and music events. Most of the shops sold alternate merchandise
such as band items like badges, clothes, and studded belts, and the Exchange became a well-known congregation point for alternative people
.
Following a major restoration project, Leeds Corn Exchange re-opened in November 2008 as a boutique shopping destination for creative independent retail enterprises. The entire 13200 square feet (1,226.3 m²) ground level is now occupied by a new restaurant venture, with the upper levels home to a number of retailers.
In late 2010, The Corn Exchange held host to Gok Wan's Gok's Fashion Roadshow which was shown on television in February 2011, in which four policewoman from the Leeds-Bradford area opened the show as "changed women".
More recently,in June 2011 Katie Price visited the Corn Exchange and held auditions for The next big thing which will be on Sky Living in Autumn 2011.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
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...
, which was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick
Cuthbert Brodrick
Cuthbert Brodrick FRIBA was a British architect, whose most famous building is Leeds Town Hall.- Early life :...
and completed in 1864. It currently houses a restaurant, a clothing boutique and a jewellery shop.
As a corn exchange
Designed by Cuthbert BrodrickCuthbert Brodrick
Cuthbert Brodrick FRIBA was a British architect, whose most famous building is Leeds Town Hall.- Early life :...
, a young Hull architect best known for Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...
, this Grade I listed structure was completed in 1862 and opened on 28 July 1863. Leeds Corn Exchange is now just one of three Corn Exchange
Corn exchange
A corn exchange or grain exchange was a building where farmers and merchants traded cereal grains. Such trade was common in towns and cities across Great Britain and Ireland until the 19th century, but as the trade became centralised in the 20th century many such buildings were used for other...
s in the country which still operates in its traditional capacity as a centre for trade, albeit no longer for trading in corn.
After the closure of the Corn Exchange, its condition deteriorated to such a degree that the building itself and the surrounding land became one of Leeds' most run down areas. Early proposals for the regeneration for this site had included turning the Corn Exchange into a concert hall similar to the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
.
1980s conversion into a shopping centre
In 1985, Speciality Shops plc won the contract to re-develop the building as a shopping centre. The refurbishment process designed by Alsop & LyallWill Alsop
Will Allen Alsop, OBE RA is a British architect based in London. He is responsible for several distinctive and controversial modernist buildings, most in the United Kingdom. Alsop's buildings are usually distinguished by their use of bright colour and unusual forms...
was completely restored to its current state, with new staircases to allow shoppers access to the balcony and basement levels. It opened for trade in 1990. Many other old buildings have been restored in this area, now known as The Exchange Quarter.
As well as housing shops such as Ark Clothing
Ark Clothing
Ark Clothing is part of RETT Retail Limited and consists of ten stores,one distribution centre and is also an e-commerce retailer based in the United Kingdom....
, On the wall (poster/photograph) which is now in a new site on Boar Lane, Culture Vulture now situated on Duncan Street and Eva (jewellery), the Leeds Corn Exchange also hosted exhibitions, events such as strut (fashion show)
Strut (fashion show)
Strut is an annual Leeds fashion show, based in the Leeds corn exchange, exhibiting the best of Leeds' independent designers, such as Eva ....
and music events. Most of the shops sold alternate merchandise
Alternative fashion
Alternative fashion is an umbrella term encompassing a plethora of styles that have one major thing in common - they, at least at one time, stood apart from mainstream commercial fashion. The term has long been associated with the fashions of specific subcultures , however it is not limited to this...
such as band items like badges, clothes, and studded belts, and the Exchange became a well-known congregation point for alternative people
Alternative culture
Alternative culture is a type of culture that exists outside or on the fringes of mainstream or popular culture, usually under the domain of one or more subcultures...
.
2007 Restoration - Present
In November 2007 it was revealed that the centre (which had been under refubishment for the past year following being taken over by Zurich Financial Services) was to be converted into a food emporium. The plans brought protests from existing independent traders, who were removed from the Corn Exchange, and their customers.Following a major restoration project, Leeds Corn Exchange re-opened in November 2008 as a boutique shopping destination for creative independent retail enterprises. The entire 13200 square feet (1,226.3 m²) ground level is now occupied by a new restaurant venture, with the upper levels home to a number of retailers.
In late 2010, The Corn Exchange held host to Gok Wan's Gok's Fashion Roadshow which was shown on television in February 2011, in which four policewoman from the Leeds-Bradford area opened the show as "changed women".
More recently,in June 2011 Katie Price visited the Corn Exchange and held auditions for The next big thing which will be on Sky Living in Autumn 2011.
External links
- Leeds Corn Exchange website
- Hidden Wardrobe in the Leeds Guide
- Outrage in the Leeds Guide
- Save the Corn Exchange Blogspot - Information about the campaign to Save the Corn Ex.
- Virtual Tour and guide to the Exchange Quarter Leeds
- Leeds Corn Exchange Shopping Guide
- Pictures of the Corn Exchange by Steve Cadman
- Leeds Corn Exchange's bus stops