Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre opened in March 2013, welcoming over 130,000 shoppers on it’s first day. Named after the adjacent 18th century Holy Trinity Church and housing 93,000m2 of retail floor space, this modern day cathedral celebrates the altogether different God of Shopping.
The centre-piece of the shopping centre is a 3,716m2 glass dome designed by SKM Anthony Hunt, containing 1,902 glass panels that arch 30.5m over street level. Base were approached by contractor Laing O’Rourke to help solve a small yet significant problem with the dome, to subtly fill a space between the shopping centre parapet and the glazed roof. By using ten shaped ETFE segments welded together to create a single twisting panel measuring over 12m long, a virtually invisible barrier now prevents the ingress of the elements without compromising the sleek, glazed aesthetic – all at a fraction of the cost of using bespoke glass.
We may be no Michelangelo but we are nonetheless proud of our finishing touch to this dramatic dome.