31 Oct

Southbank Regeneration

As the regeneration and redevelopment of the Leeds South Bank begins to gather pace, we wanted to take a look at the wealth of opportunity the area presents – scope, heritage architecture and community.

Successful regeneration of cities relies on bold and radical approaches beholden to the people they serve. Architecture and planning has always been key to this. There are some great examples to take inspiration from:

Scope… Diesel Village

The company took the decision to group all its main business functions in a new headquarters in Breganze, Italy. In addition to offices and the raw materials warehouse, the site also boasts a restaurant, bar, fitness centre, showrooms, a day-care centre and a hall for 600 people. A former industrial area, the new site works in the surrounding rural landscape, delivering a site founded on the idea of well-being and a better living environment.

Heritage Architecture… Fondazione Prada

A former distillery dating back to the early 1900s creates an institution dedicated to contemporary art and culture. The architectural configuration which combines seven existing buildings with three new structures, was imagined as both a preservation project with new architecture delivering the needs which were missing. The contrast of post-industrial and new spaces, alternately intimate and expansive, old and new allow art and architecture to benefit from each other’s challenges.

Community… Quaker Industrial Model Villages

Taking learnings from the likes of Titus Salt (Saltaire), George Cadbury (Bourneville) and Joseph Rowntree (New Earswick), the combination of quality housing, employment, recreation, educational facilities and social services, villages such as these championed social reform, creating conditions in which workers could aspire to a better standard of living. They represented a landmark example of enlightened 19th century urban planning. Perhaps we can do the same with the 21st century…

We’re looking forward to an inspired execution in the next chapter of Leeds’ regeneration.