Leeds Beckett University reveals new £80 million School of Arts building

The building will support more than 2,500 students and 100 staff studying, teaching and producing research in film, TV, technology, sound, music, drama, dance, and fashion.

Located in Portland Street at City Campus, it will be the new home for many of the creative arts subjects offered at the university and has industry standard kit for students to work with.

Facilities include a professional standard recording studio, a 180-seat performance theatre, a 220-seat Dolby Atmos movie cinema, as well as dedicated TV, film, green screen and black box studios.

There are also multiple editing suites, rehearsal and make-up rooms, and performance spaces.

The building has two roof terraces with panoramic views across the city centre which offer spaces to host events and showcase end-of-year shows and departmental performances.

The specialist facility is now open for business subject to the latest government coronavirus guidance, but despite restrictions the full building can now be seen online using 3D technology.

The interactive model offers a virtual tour of the building and allows viewers to fully explore all 11 storeys from a computer or phone.

Professor Peter Slee, vice chancellor of LBU said: “This incredible new building offers our talented students, staff and creative-industry partners access to world leading facilities.

"It underpins the powerful claims our city can make as a capital of culture and a thriving creative economy."

The building has been designed by the international architectural practice Hawkins\Brown and was constructed by development partner Downing.

Professor Lisa Stansbie, dean of Leeds School of Arts at LBU, said: “Our new building is equipped with cutting-edge technology which opens up creative opportunities for our School.

"Extraordinary creative practice will be incubated in the Leeds School of Arts and we look forward to sharing it with our local community and our region.

"With the most up-to-date digital technologies, we are ready to demonstrate and celebrate the importance of arts practice in an uncertain world.”

Staff from the Leeds School of Arts predict that the building will fast become an integral part of the growing arts and culture scene in the city.