Yorkshire-based property company Rushbond PLC has acquired the landmark Bank House circa 90,000 sq ft office building in Leeds City Centre – once the regional headquarters of the Bank of England. 

The building presents a major short-term redevelopment opportunity for Rushbond, which has built a reputation for transforming significant and cherished locations and developments throughout Yorkshire.

Bank House is one of the most striking buildings in the commercial district of the city. Located on the corner of King Street and Park Place, the building – which was purpose built for the Bank of England between 1969-1971 by Building Design Partnership, one of the largest practices operating in the 1960s – features an ambitious, European Brutalist-style design, clad in Cornish granite.

Rushbond has plans to substantially restore the iconic exterior, whilst redeveloping and upgrading the interior to transform this significant building into a major sustainable, accessible, best in class office scheme. Rushbond believes the redevelopment will attract inward investment, as well as regional tenants looking for modern, high spec, sustainable office space in a super prime location, which is at a premium in Leeds city centre, with works anticipated to commence in 2026.

Comments Richard Baker from Rushbond: “Bank House has an incredible history and we welcome the opportunity to secure the future of this landmark building. There is a huge demand for premium office space in the city, and at the top of tenants’ requirements are meeting their sustainability targets. At Rushbond we believe it is clearly more sustainable to breathe new life into an existing building. By doing so we’re not only protecting some of the city’s most important assets, but we’re also offering future tenants the unique opportunity to be located in an energy efficient, contemporary space filled with character and integrity. We look forward to sharing more plans for the building in the future.”

Bank House adds to Rushbond’s growing commercial portfolio of iconic buildings in Leeds city centre. The developer has won multiple awards for a number of sensitive, restoration projects including the iconic Majestic Leeds, the former Odeon cinema which is now the northern headquarters for Channel 4; the Grade I listed Leeds Corn Exchange, a thriving centre for independent shops and cafes and First White Cloth Hall; a Grade II listed building located on Kirkgate, Leeds’s oldest street, which has been transformed into a contemporary new workspace.

Comments Jonathan Maud, Chairman at Rushbond: “Leeds is an incredible city within a vibrant Yorkshire and we are excited to continue to invest within its built environment and look forward to providing a very significant, substantial and newly envisioned workplace from 2026.”