Stepping Up Into the Wind

Leeds is no stranger to wind. As one of the UK’s windiest inland cities, its tall buildings are often influenced as much by the weather as by architectural ambition.

Cirrus Point, White Rose View and surrounding buildings
Cirrus Point, stepping down to White Rose View Tower B, then to Tower A, and again to the ~5-storey Yorkshire Bank HQ building.

Building context

Gradual but meaningful height increases

Diagram showing successive shelter from building height increases
Successive levels of shelter have a compounding effect: one tower protects the next, which protects the next — the tallest gains a huge benefit.

A rare case study

Wind microclimate contour plot around the building cluster
A big advantage for westerly winds: despite the massive differences in height, wind speeds around Cirrus Point are comparable to – if slightly windier than – those around both White Rose View towers.

So, planned or accidental?