Leeds Corn Exchange
The Leeds Corn Exchange is a shopping mall in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The structure, which was commissioned as a corn exchange, is a grade I listed building. History

The first corn exchange in Leeds was located at the north end of Briggate and was opened in 1829. By the mid-19th century, it was considered too small, and civic officials decided to commission a larger building. The new building was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick, a Hull architect best known for Leeds Town Hall, in the Italianate style, built in stone with diamond-shaped rustification and was completed in 1863. The oval-shaped building featured two semi-circular porches with doorways which were flanked by Tuscan order columns supporting cornices, and was fenestrated by recessed round headed windows on both floors. The design of the dome was based on that of the Bourse de commerce of Paris by François-Joseph Bélanger and François Brunet, completed in 1811. The architectural historian, Nikolaus Pevsner, praised the design which he regarded as "remarkably independent and functional". The use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century. However, in the late 1980s Speciality Shops plc restored it and converted it into a retail facility. After a further restoration carried out by new owners, Zurich Financial Services, the Corn Exchange re-opened in November 2008 as a boutique shopping centre for independent retailers. The  ground level was occupied by Piazza by Anthony until its sudden closure in June 2013. In 2017 the Corn Exchange was acquired by property company Rushbond. the Corn Exchange contains about 30 independent retailers and food outlets. It is described as "one of only three remaining Corn Exchanges still functioning as a centre for trade in Britain", albeit no longer functioning as a corn exchange. The building was depicted in an official BBC trailer for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup (in reference to Leeds being one of the host cities). See also
Architecture of Leeds
Corn exchanges in England
Grade I listed buildings in West Yorkshire
Listed buildings in Leeds (City and Hunslet Ward - northern area)

References

External links

Leeds Corn Exchange website

Grade I listed buildings in Leeds
Grade I listed markets and exchanges
Commercial buildings completed in 1864
Shopping centres in Leeds
Cuthbert Brodrick buildings
1864 establishments in England
Corn exchanges in England