The development was designed by Aedas Architects with the developer being Landmark Development Projects and St James Securities with Bovis Lend Lease being the contractor. The developer of the residential element of Bridgewater Place was KW Linfoot. The construction was first announced in 2000 and, following several redesigns and delays with the construction process, began in 2004 and was completed in 2007. It became the tallest building in Leeds by a significant margin. Bridgewater Place has a height of to roof level. Originally the tower was to have a spire which would have extended the height of the building to, however this was never built. Bridgewater Place has 32 storeys, of which two are used for car parking, ten for offices and twenty for residential use. There is of floor space in the building with 200 flats and 400 underground car parking spaces serving both the residential and commercial areas of the building. Current office tenants include Eversheds Sutherland, Ernst & Young, ghd, BDO Stoy Hayward, 2plan wealth management, DWF LLP and NHS Digital. Retail tenants include Tesco, Starbucks, Panini Shack and Philpotts. The major part of the building's construction was completed by late December 2006. The completion of the entire building was commemorated on Thursday 26 April 2007. A special episode of Look North, the BBC's local regional news programme was produced to commemorate the opening of the tower. The tower is illuminated at night with bright coloured lighting effects, colours used so far include blue and purple.
Criticism
Aesthetics
In 2008, Building Design, the architectural journal, shortlisted Bridgewater Place for its annual Carbuncle Cup, which is awarded to 'buildings so ugly they freeze the heart'.
Safety issues
The building's shape accelerates winds in its immediate vicinity, knocking over pedestrians and even vehicles. One person suffered a torn liver and internal bleeding, and cuts requiring 11 stitches, and a buggy with a three-month-old child was pushed out into the road by a sharp gust. In March 2011, a man was killed by a lorry overturned on him by a gust. The Crown Prosecution Service advised against bringing charges of corporate manslaughter against the architects, Aedas. However, at the inquest in December 2013 Leeds Deputy Coroner Melanie Williamson recommended the roads nearby should be closed to vehicles when wind speeds exceeded. This was done on 6 December, though pedestrians continue being injured by being blown over. These winds have led to the roads around the building being closed for safety reasons when the wind speed is above 45 mph. To rectify these issues in the design may require the addition of 'vertical fins' to the facade of the building. In December 2016, the owners of the building were required to pay £903,000 towards the costs of the wind deflection works. The safety problems caused by the building have affected proposals for other high-rise developments in the city. In August 2016, when submitting plans for Bridge Street, the developers stated that extensive wind tests were being undertaken to avoid 'another Bridgewater Place'.
