Candle House is a stunning addition to the Leeds skyline designed by Nigel Jacques whilst a Director of careyjones architects – a twisted cylindrical residential tower on a canalside site near to Leeds Railway Station. The project has won an unprecedented number of design awards including the Supreme Award at the 2011 Housing Awards and the RIBA White Rose ‘Gold’ Award for Architecture and a White Rose Award for Housing in 2010.
Nigel was also responsible for the overall masterplanning of the ISIS Waterside Regeneration scheme, Granary Wharf.
The Candle building is a twenty three storeys high, cylindrical brick tower – the facade itself ‘twisting’ at four storey intervals. The architecturally strong cylindrical form was designed in response to the unique waterside surroundings, with the circular plan echoing the sweeping viaducts and curved railway arches, and in reference to the rich heavy engineering history of Granary Wharf and the surrounding industrial forms.
The ordering and layering of the elevation was deliberately simple allowing the natural play of light on the varying surfaces and differing materials to provide a visual richness.
The buildings materiality, shared with the two other new buildings on the site, was intentionally minimal – brick, glass and copper, in order to complement historic waterfront neighbours and provide a cohesive sense of place.
The buildingis intended to be a modern reference to the three neighbouring Italianate towers of the historic Tower Works building. The residential 160 apartments are arranged around a single central core. The rotating nature of the building’s facade permits each apartment to enjoy very differing views from floor to ceiling windows. External balconies clad in copper, inset into the facade, provide amenity and visual interest.
