May 14, 2010
Highcross’ Broad Gate office and retail scheme in Leeds city centre has been named Best Refurbished/Recycled Workplace in the British Council for Offices (BCO) Northern Regional Awards.
The awards recognised excellence in buildings across the North of England, North Wales and Northern Ireland. Broad Gate will now go on to the national finals, along with other regional winners.
The judges praised the Broad Gate scheme as ‘heroic’ for halting the building’s decline in recent years. They also noted that Highcross has been exceptionally bold in finishing the incomplete 1930s building and creating a spectacular office area wrapped around an atrium.
Located on The Headrow in the centre of Leeds, the 300,000 sq ft Broad Gate development provides 170,000 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation from 2,000 sq ft suites to whole floors up to 39,000 sq ft. At the centre of the building is a full-height atrium, intersected by glazed walkways connecting the upper floors. The scheme, which was completed in July last year, also includes four retail units which are now all fully occupied.
Howard Cartwright, associate director and project manager at Highcross’ northern office, says: “We are very proud to have won this significant award for our Broad Gate scheme. It was particularly rewarding to be involved in bringing back to life a building which was part of Leeds’ heritage and we’re delighted that the quality of our development has been recognised by the judges.”
