# The Light, Leeds

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Building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Interior showing promenade and cinema

Interior junction of the two streets in the evening

**The Light** is a leisure and retail centre in central [Leeds](/source/Leeds) in West Yorkshire, England. It occupies the rectangular space between [The Headrow](/source/The_Headrow%2C_Leeds) on the south, St Anne's Street on the north, Cookridge Street on the west, and [Albion Street](/source/Albion_Street%2C_Leeds). 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](/source/Listed_buildings) Permanent House and the Headrow Buildings.

## Structure

**The Light** opened in 2001 with a retail area of 32,515 square metres (349,990 sq ft).[1] In 2002 the £100 million development won two City of Leeds Awards for Architecture and Lighting: the Altered Building Award and The People's Award.[2]

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.[1][3][4][5] 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.[4]

Permanent House and the Headrow Buildings are of the same style in [Portland stone](/source/Portland_stone) and brick by [Sir Reginald Blomfield](/source/Reginald_Blomfield) and local architect C. W. Atkinson. The Headrow Buildings fronts the Headrow and Permanent House is on the corner with Cookridge Street.[3] The Headrow Buildings have five stepped stages to accommodate the slope of the Headrow and an arch surmounted by [Doric](/source/Doric_order) columns over Cross Fountaine Street.[4] The height of the cornices was set to match that of Lewis's department store building.[6] It had nine shop units and four floors of offices.[6] Permanent House, which houses the [Radisson Blu](/source/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](/source/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.[3] [Browns Restaurant](/source/Browns_Restaurants) occupies the former banking hall.

## Gallery

		- Permanent House, corner of Cookridge Street and the Headrow

		- Permanent House, Cookridge Street showing the link and arch

		- Blue plaque on Permanent House

		- Headrow Buildings entrance to Cross Fountaine Street

		- Entrance to Browns and Radisson Blue inside the Light

		- North entrance from St Anne's Street

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-HoareLee_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-HoareLee_1-1) ["The Light, Leeds"](https://hoarelea.com/project-story/the-light-leeds/). *hoarelea.com*. Retrieved 30 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Harney_2-0)** Harney, Tony (9 December 2002). "Shining example". *Yorkshire Evening Post*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NHLE1255859_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NHLE1255859_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-NHLE1255859_3-2) [Historic England](/source/Historic_England). ["Permanent House and Headrow Buildings (1255859)"](https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1255859?section=official-list-entry). *[National Heritage List for England](/source/National_Heritage_List_for_England)*. Retrieved 30 September 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Wrathmell_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Wrathmell_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Wrathmell_4-2) Wrathmell, Susan (2005). *Pevsner Architectural Guides: Leeds*. Yale University Press. pp. 166–8. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-300-10736-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-300-10736-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Wainwright_5-0)** Wainwright, Martin (2009). *Leeds: Shaping the City*. London: [RIBA](/source/RIBA). pp. 116–119. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781 85946 2447](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781_85946_2447).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Leodis9923_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Leodis9923_6-1) ["The Headrow – elevation drawing"](http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=9923). *leodis.net*. Leeds City Council. Retrieved 1 October 2018.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [The Light, Leeds](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:The_Light,_Leeds).

- [The Light website](http://www.thelightleeds.co.uk/)

[53°48′00″N 1°32′48″W / 53.7999°N 1.5467°W / 53.7999; -1.5467](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=The_Light,_Leeds&params=53.7999_N_1.5467_W_region:GB_scale:2000)

v t e Shopping centres in Yorkshire and the Humber East Riding Princes Quay St Stephen's Hull North Yorkshire Brunswick Shopping Centre Coppergate Shopping Centre Victoria Shopping Centre South Yorkshire Sheffield Meadowhall Crystal Peaks Orchard Square Doncaster Frenchgate Shopping Centre Lakeside Village Elsewhere Alhambra Shopping Centre West Yorkshire Leeds Leeds Corn Exchange The Light Merrion Centre Schofields St John's Centre Trinity Leeds Victoria Leeds White Rose Centre Wakefield Albion Mills Retail Park The Ridings Centre Trinity Walk Elsewhere Arndale Centre Borough Market The Broadway Kingsgate Shopping Centre

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Light, Leeds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Light%2C_Leeds) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Light%2C_Leeds?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.
