Rushbond buys Bank House

Once the regional headquarters of the Bank of England, the 90,000 sq ft Leeds office building has been acquired by the redevelopment specialist.

Rushbond said that the building presents a major short-term redevelopment opportunity.

Bank House was purpose-built for the Bank of England between 1969 and 1971 by Building Design Partnership, still trading as BDP.

Located on the corner of King Street and Park Place, the building features an ambitious, European Brutalist-style design, clad in Cornish granite.

Rushbond intends to substantially restore the exterior, whilst redeveloping and upgrading the interior to transform this significant building into a major sustainable, accessible office scheme in what it described as a “super-prime” location.

Works are expected to start in 2026, said the firm.

Richard Baker, senior development surveyor at Rushbond, said: “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.”

Rushbond has established a reputation for working with noted heritage buildings in Leeds. Projects include Majestic Leeds, the grade one-listed Corn Exchange, and First White Cloth Hall.

Chairman Jonathan Maud said: “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.”