{{Short description|Building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Use British English|date=July 2024}}

[[File:Leeds Light VUE.jpg|thumb|right|Interior showing promenade and cinema]] [[File:Decorative rings, the Light, Leeds (26th January 2018) 001.jpg|thumb|right|Interior junction of the two streets in the evening]] '''The Light''' is a leisure and retail centre in central [[Leeds]] in West Yorkshire, England. It occupies the rectangular space between [[The Headrow, Leeds|The Headrow]] on the south, St Anne's Street on the north, Cookridge Street on the west, and [[Albion Street, Leeds|Albion Street]]. Two former streets divide it: Upper Fountaine Street (east-west) and Cross Fountaine Street (north-south) now covered with a glass roof. It incorporates two [[listed buildings]] Permanent House and the Headrow Buildings.

==Structure== '''The Light''' opened in 2001 with a retail area of {{convert|32,515|m2}}.<ref name=HoareLee>{{cite web |url=https://hoarelea.com/project-story/the-light-leeds/ |title=The Light, Leeds |website=hoarelea.com |access-date=30 September 2018}}</ref> In 2002 the £100&nbsp;million development won two City of Leeds Awards for Architecture and Lighting: the Altered Building Award and The People's Award.<ref name=Harney>{{cite news |last=Harney |first=Tony |date=9 December 2002 |title=Shining example |work=Yorkshire Evening Post }}</ref>

The retail and leisure centre was created by building a glass roof over Upper Fountaine Street and Cross Fountaine Street to create an arcade between two listed buildings, Permanent House and the Headrow Buildings.<ref name=HoareLee/><ref name=NHLE1255859>{{NHLE |num=1255859 |desc=Permanent House and Headrow Buildings |access-date= 30 September 2018 }}</ref><ref name=Wrathmell>{{cite book |last=Wrathmell |first=Susan |date=2005 |title=Pevsner Architectural Guides: Leeds |publisher=Yale University Press |pages=166–8 |isbn=0-300-10736-6 }}</ref><ref name=Wainwright>{{cite book |last=Wainwright |first=Martin |date=2009 |title=Leeds: Shaping the City |location=London |publisher=[[RIBA]] |pages=116–119 |isbn=9781 85946 2447 }}</ref> New construction on two levels created a first level promenade with a multi-screen cinema. Above the ground floor shops and restaurants are a nightclub and health club. It was designed by DLG Architects.<ref name=Wrathmell/>

Permanent House and the Headrow Buildings are of the same style in [[Portland stone]] and brick by [[Reginald Blomfield|Sir Reginald Blomfield]] and local architect C.&nbsp;W. Atkinson. The Headrow Buildings fronts the Headrow and Permanent House is on the corner with Cookridge Street.<ref name=NHLE1255859/> The Headrow Buildings have five stepped stages to accommodate the slope of the Headrow and an arch surmounted by [[Doric order|Doric]] columns over Cross Fountaine Street.<ref name=Wrathmell/> The height of the cornices was set to match that of Lewis's department store building.<ref name=Leodis9923>{{cite web |url=http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=9923 |title=The Headrow – elevation drawing |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=leodis.net |publisher=Leeds City Council |access-date=1 October 2018 }}</ref> It had nine shop units and four floors of offices.<ref name=Leodis9923/> Permanent House, which houses the [[Radisson Blu]] Hotel, was constructed as two linked buildings on Cookridge Street, separated by Upper Fountaine Street which was bridged and the buildings are joined by a carriage arch. The headquarters of the [[Leeds Permanent Building Society]] was opened 15 May 1930 on the corner of Cookridge Street and the Headrow. The north part was opened 31 December 1931 as shops and offices.<ref name=NHLE1255859/> [[Browns Restaurants|Browns Restaurant]] occupies the former banking hall.

==Gallery== <gallery> File:The Light, Leeds (27th May 2010).jpg|Permanent House, corner of Cookridge Street and the Headrow File:Permanent House 24 03 2017 2.jpg|Permanent House, Cookridge Street showing the link and arch File:Permanent House Plaque Headrow.jpg|Blue plaque on Permanent House File:Leeds The Light.jpg|Headrow Buildings entrance to Cross Fountaine Street File:Browns Restaurant Leeds 24 June 2018.jpg|Entrance to Browns and Radisson Blue inside the Light File:The Light, Leeds (4th May 2010).jpg|North entrance from St Anne's Street </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|The Light, Leeds}} *[http://www.thelightleeds.co.uk/ The Light website]

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{{Shopping centres in Yorkshire and the Humber}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Light, Leeds}} [[Category:Shopping centres in Leeds]] [[Category:Listed buildings in Leeds]] [[Category:Leeds Blue Plaques]]