From award winning buildings to the intricately beautiful Victorian arcades, the city has an array of fascinating architecture to explore. With a blend of old and new, the architectural styles and buildings are different but all equally as spectacular. Take a day to wander through the city and take it all in. Here are some of our favourite locations:
7. Grand Arcade
There are plenty of spectacular Victorian shopping arcades to explore. The Grand Arcade is a great spot for independents. It’s over 100 years old and features an animated clock above its East entrance. Photo: Hannah Webster
8. Victoria Quarter
Perhaps Leeds’s most famous shopping arcade, Victoria Quarter is packed with stunning architectural features amongst an exclusive array of stores. Above the widest arcade stands the largest stained glass roof in Europe, covering what used to be an open road. Photo: Hannah Webster
9. Kirkgate Market
As one of the largest indoor markets in Europe, Leeds Kirkgate Market has pushed many technological and architectural boundaries since it opened in 1857. Look up at the spectacular domed roof and ornate pillars and look out for the green clock in the centre of the main hall. Next to this you will find the M&S market stall, paying homage to its roots as a penny bazaar in this very market back in 1884. Photo: LCC
10. Leeds Corn Exchange
Dating back to 1864, the Grade 1 listed Corn Exchange is one the finest buildings in the city. With its huge domed roof and intricate detailing, it is now the home of independent retail and food traders and a burgeoning creative neighbourhood. Step inside to truly take in this iconic architecture. Photo: Carl Milner
11. Temple Works
Down Marshall Street you will find the truly breath-taking Temple Works, a former flax mill. Finished in 1840, the façade is modelled after the Temple of Horus at Edfu, with dramatic Egyptian-inspired columns. The large factory behind was once the largest single room in the world. This one-of-a-kind building also contained the world’s first hydraulic lift, which was developed to transport sheep to the roof. But why did they need sheep on the roof? The roof was covered in grass designed to maintain the temperature and moisture within the factory required to prevent the linen thread from drying out. Naturally the grass needed maintaining, hence the sheep. Photo: South Bank Project
12. Bankhouse
On the corner of King Street and Park Place is the divisive Bank House. This Grade II listed brutalist structure combines Cornish granite and bronze cladding. Its unusual layout where each floor sticks out above the one beneath it makes it a marvel of structural engineering. Photo: Brutalist Constructions