A City Less Grey wins Leeds Architecture Award 2018

A City Less Grey is a joint project commissioned by us and funded by LeedsBID (Leeds Business Improvement District). It took the award for public realm and landscape design at the ceremony held at Leeds Town Hall on Thursday 28 February.

We launched the project in November 2016, to inject colour into the city. With six city centre murals, A City Less Grey includes the UK’s tallest piece of street art, Athena Rising by NOMAD Clan, which adorns the east elevation of Platform next to Leeds Station.

The other pieces can be found in Kirkgate area, on Sovereign Square and Vicar Lane. Artists Mike Winnard, Kasia Breska, Jo Peel, Joe Dickenson, NOMAD Clan and Mel Holmes were each commissioned to deliver bespoke pieces of work to transform a site in their own style, incorporating poignant references to the local environment.

Ian Kirkpatrick’s Hare of Harehills was also commended in the category. His piece was commission by us with funding from Leeds City Council. It can be found in the grounds of the Compton Centre in Harehills.

A City Less Grey also received national recognition at the Planning Awards in June 2018.

Karen Watson, our artistic director and founder said: “It’s great to see A City Less Grey win yet another prestigious award. The project has helped to bring the city to life with colour and is a great example of collaboration between the sectors. We were also pleased that one of our other commissions, Hare of Harehills by Ian Kirkpatrick, was commended on the night. We look forward to expanding A City Less Grey further and commissioning more artists to create stunning pieces of work for Leeds.”

We are looking at a phase two of the project as part of ongoing work in animating the city by bringing colour, curiosity and interest to the streets of Leeds.