The first corn exchange in Leeds was located at the north end of
Briggate and was opened in 1829. By the mid-19th century, it was considered too small, and civic officials decided to commission a larger building. The new building was designed by
Cuthbert Brodrick, a Hull architect best known for
Leeds Town Hall, in the
Italianate style, built in stone with
diamond-shaped
rustification and was completed in 1863. The architectural historian,
Nikolaus Pevsner, praised the design which he regarded as "remarkably independent and functional". The use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the
Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century. However, in the late 1980s Speciality Shops plc restored it and converted it into a retail facility. After a further restoration carried out by new owners,
Zurich Financial Services, the Corn Exchange re-opened in November 2008 as a boutique shopping centre for independent retailers. The ground level was occupied by Piazza by Anthony until its sudden closure in June 2013. In 2017 the Corn Exchange was acquired by property company
Rushbond. , the Corn Exchange contains about 30 independent retailers and food outlets. It is described as "one of only three remaining Corn Exchanges still functioning as a centre for trade in Britain", albeit no longer functioning as a corn exchange. The Corn Exchange has also served as a venue for music events such as the South Asian Arts UK Summer Solstice Festival in June 2023. The building was depicted in an official
BBC trailer for the
2021 Rugby League World Cup (in reference to
Leeds being one of the host cities). ==See also==