Transformation for Leeds building which played starring role in city's cinematic claim to fame

It's the Leeds building which cemented itself in history thanks to a starring role in one of the very oldest pieces of film in the world.

1 Sovereign Quay is situated on Leeds Bridge, which was the subject of French inventor Louis Le Prince’s pioneering film of industrial Leeds in 1888.

The grainy black-and-while film, showing people and carriages crossing Leeds Bridge, has achieved legendary status as the first moving picture sequence using a single lens camera and a strip of paper.

Amazing photos showcase life in Leeds during the 1890s

A blue plaque placed by Leeds Civic Trust at Leeds Bridge.

Fast forward to 2021 and the historic building is undergoing a multi-million pound transformation.

Eamon Fox, partner and head of office agency at the Leeds office of global property consultancy Knight Frank, who are marketing the building on behalf of Charles Street Buildings Group, said: “This is a building which is steeped in history and is also so full of promise and potential for the future. What a heady mixture.

“By appearing in one of the oldest surviving pieces of film in existence, 1 Sovereign Quay has truly cemented itself in history. Louis Le Prince filmed Leeds Bridge and the surrounding buildings during the heady late-Victorian years of industrial growth and commerce and it’s only right that the building is now re-imagined to reflect Leeds’s continuing regeneration and its need to evolve for contemporary life and work.”

He added: “Formerly known as Windsor House, this sleeping giant is now undergoing a multi-million pound makeover, including the addition of south-facing terraces and full-height glazing on the fourth and fifth floors, which will provide over 21,000 sq ft of stunning Grade A office space. It will offer the ultimate combination of character, prominence, positioning, design and stunning views across the city.”