Wellington Place reaches completion

Gillespies has completed a brand new public realm and vibrant civic square for Wellington Place, a 21-acre new business and leisure quarter in the West End of Leeds and the largest new office development in the city in the last 15 years. Comprising 13 medium-to-high-rise buildings, the development by MEPC includes offices, residential apartments, restaurants, cafes and leisure space, set within a series of public realm spaces.

Gillespies’ role has been to develop a coherent masterplan into a series of detailed planning applications for the public realm areas around a phased development process. The public realm by Gillespies creates a vibrant, safe and distinctive new urban quarter for Leeds. The green heart of the project is Tower Square, a new public space that celebrates the grade II listed lifting tower, a remnant from the railway station that once occupied the site. The square comprises green lawns, spill-out seating areas and bespoke concrete seating among banks of planting where staff and visitors can sit, relax and dine. A triangular granite mirror pool sits at the point of Building 4, creating a focal point and a relaxing seating space for residents and visitors alike.

A network of wide, pedestrianised boulevards and thoughtfully landscaped gardens create flexible spaces for regular community events, including street food stalls, music performances, business development sessions and lunchtime workouts.

The public realm will help to identify Leeds as a business destination of choice and is a cornerstone in the city’s regeneration.