Eight of the best buildings in the East Midlands
BEAUTIFUL and iconic buildings across Leicestershire have made their way onto a list of the 25 most memorable buildings across the East Midlands.
Property agency Innes England have revealed their pick of the region’s buildings to mark the close of its 25th anniversary celebrations.
The firm, which has offices in Leicester, Derby and Nottingham, challenged staff to pick a building across the region that inspires them to help mark the milestone.
Eight of the buildings selected are located within Leicestershire, and include:
Richard III Visitor Centre, Leicester
The £4 million visitor centre was built to mark the discovery of Richard III’s skeleton. It famously opened in 2014 when it put Leicester on the world map following the discovery of the ancient King’s remains in a city centre car park. The Curve, Leicester As one of the city centre’s most iconic buildings, The Curve is home to some spectacular shows and musicals. It was completed in 2008, although it was not until January 2009 that it was officially opened by HRH Queen Elizabeth II.
The building is part of Leicester’s Cultural Quarter, and stands out thanks to its striking and unique design.
Welford Road Stadium, Leicester
Rugby fans across the country will recognise this famous stadium, which is home to the Leicester Tigers.
The stadium opened in 1892 with a capacity of just 3,000, although later stands and redevelopments mean that it can now seat 25,849 rowdy fans. YMCA, East Street This beautiful Grade II listed building was opened up by HRH Prince of Wales in 1981, although it was refurbished at the turn of the new millennium.
It houses modern accommodation for young people and plays an important role in the city’s community. It is also used as a theatre space. Athena, Leicester This historic building was given a new lease of life after being renovated back to its original Art Deco splendour and it now forms an important part of the city’s Cultural Quarter.
The building was designed in 1936 by Robert Arthur Bullivant and started life an an Odeon cinema, which closed in 1997. It then stood empty for eight years before being renovated into an events venue, and is Grade II listed. Mark‘s Electrical – rear wall Avid Foxes fans will recognise this 12-foot high mural depicting Leicester City, when they were famously crowned Premier League Champions against all odds last year.
The mural was painted by Richard Wilson, a van driver from North London, and there is now a petition, which has been backed by the city mayor Peter Soulsby, to have it listed. Midland Bank, Granby Street Designed by Joseph Goddard who won a competition for local architects, the former headquarters of the Leicestershire Banking Company were built in 1874.
Famous for its pretty banking hall clock, which was made by Dent’s of Southwark who were also responsible for Big Ben, it is a building that is remembered for its beautiful ceiling.
Amazon fulfilment centre, Coalville
While it may not automatically strike readers of one of the county’s most beautiful buildings, this huge one million square foot fulfilment centre deserves its place because of its impressive scale alone.
The centre created 500 jobs over a three-year period, and the agency points to it being “significant” for the county and indicative of the area’s excellent transport links.