Rushbond Plc are commissioning a series of site-specific responses from artists, designers and illustrators to spaces within the historic Corn Exchange in central Leeds. This commission seeks creative responses to the internal staircases as canvasses for inspirational surface design.

Leeds Corn Exchange

Artist’s Brief: Design Boards, Internal Staircases

Introduction

Rushbond Plc are in the process of commissioning creative responses to one of the most important historic buildings in their portfolio, the Grade I listed Corn Exchange, located in the historic Kirkgate area of central Leeds.

The Corn Exchange is known as a home of independent retailers, and as an important cultural platform for the city with an established tradition of hosting temporary events such as exhibitions, fashion shows, and fairs. The future of this unique venue depends upon its continuation as a destination where creative talent can be nurtured and showcased for diverse audiences, contributing to the richness of Leeds at a significant moment in its cultural history.
These commissions present a unique opportunity to interact with the building’s history and future, and to showcase the city’s artistic talent. They aim to stimulate creative dialogue and a spirit of exchange between this historic site and contemporary stakeholders, including creatives, tenants and everyday users, and to animate spaces within the building to improve the visitor experience. We want to reconnect people who visit the Corn Exchange with the heritage of the building and this historic section of the city in a way that inspires, surprises and educates, and to improve the visitor experience. The commissions on offer will form part of a package of works, including improvements to visitor access through enhancement of the ramped secondary entrance to the lower ground floor, to be in place by Autumn 2018.

The Corn Exchange – Then and Now

The Corn Exchange (built in 1861-3) is one of several buildings in Leeds designed by Cuthbert Brodrick, including the Town Hall and City Mechanics’ Institute. It is a fine example of Victorian architecture and one of just three Corn Exchanges in the country that still function as a centre for trade. The building was given Grade I listed status in 1951. Leeds grew during the Industrial Revolution primarily through the production and sale of cotton, flax and wool. The Corn Exchange is located very near to the First White Cloth Hall, Leeds’ oldest commercial building, on Kirkgate, where textiles were once traded. Also nearby is Kirkgate Market, the largest covered market in Europe, which opened in 1822. The site lies within Leeds’ Central Conservation Area.

The Corn Exchange once functioned as a centre for trading corn, wheat, barley, hops, peas, beans, seeds, oil cake and flour. However, due to decline in the agricultural industry, the building deteriorated and eventually closed in 1985, prior to its relaunch as a retail destination and reopening in 1990. The building’s final corn sellers ceased trading in 1994. Under changing ownership through the 2000s, the building was refurbished and the lower ground floor opened up, initially housing a restaurant and specialist food outlets.

In 2017, Rushbond Plc, working with Seven Architecture, brought forward new proposals to reanimate the building and enhance its use for existing tenants (independent small businesses) and new generations of visitors. The proposals include repairs to the fabric of the building itself, improving accessibility and upgrading visitor amenities, and the introduction of a ‘Kitchen Yard’ at lower ground floor level, maintaining a focus on food and drink that links the present-day building with its history. The lower ground floor will be refurbished to include individual food outlets in the perimeter units and new central, communal seating. A new interior ramp will improve public access from the street directly to the lower ground floor.

The building refurbishment will also include repainting of shop front doors at ground and first floor level, new signage and way finding, and creative commissions including the one outlined in this brief and new lighting for the main Entrance Lobby. In addition, a poetry commission will animate the circular opening in the ground floor, and the new ramped access.

About Rushbond Plc

Rushbond Plc is a property development company founded in Leeds in 1986, and is led today by its founder and Managing Director, Jonathan Maud.

Rushbond Plc aim to create unique spaces where design, quality and creativity are at the fore, by elevating key aspects such as community, culture and heritage and drawing these to the surface to enrich our experience of places both now and into the future. The company embeds creativity into its work in the built environment as a core tenet of its ethos, and has a track record of working with artists through projects such as Ian Randall’s Steeped Vessels(2006) at Brewery Wharf, and Tim Etchell’s neon artwork Where the Heart Is(2014), located on the Algernon Firth building. Both projects have made a major contribution to creating high quality art in the public realm in Leeds.

Leeds Corn Exchange – Internal Staircases

We are inviting site-specific responses to key spaces within the building, specifically the two internal staircases which connect the ground floor and balcony level, on opposing sides of the Corn Exchange’s atrium. Four ‘Design Boards’ will affix to the sides of the staircases, creating a blank canvas for surface design akin to a mural site. Please see the separate architectural plan for dimensions of the Boards, and a visual of the saddle clamps which will attach the Board to the staircases. The Boards will be made of pre-primed plywood.

There will be four Boards altogether, one for each side of the two staircases. The Board themselves will be manufactured and supplied by Rushbond Plc – the commission is for creation and application of the surface design only. Please note that due to construction work on site, we are unable to offer space within the building to complete the design work, therefore please ensure that you have access to studio or other space to complete the work before applying. Boards will be supplied in sections and assembled on site. Rushbond Plc will take responsibility for collection of the Boards and their installation.

The aim is to animate the staircases and increase visitor traffic between the different levels of the building by making this journey more attractive through eye-catching, contemporary design. We want to see exciting proposals that really respond to the potential of the site and which work to bring a dynamic, attractive visual presence to bear within this historic interior.

The design may therefore utilize directional motifs, or work to encourage movement up and down the staircases in some way. The Boards will create a large-scale sculptural presence in the building’s historic interior, to which the proposed design may also respond. Applicants may opt to carry one design across all four Boards, or to propose a separate design for each. There is no restriction on what type of design may be proposed, or on the use of materials, although durability is important as the commission will ideally stay in place for at least one year.

Budget

A commission budget of £800 is available, to create all four Design Boards. This should include all materials such as paint, varnish, ink, fabric, printing etc.

An additional artist/designer fee of £1200 is available. This equates to six days at £200 per day.

Payment will be made in installments, dependent upon mutually agreed milestones for realization of the commission. Applicants may opt to alter the split of the overall project budget of £2000 if they wish, although this is the maximum available and must include all expenses (such as travel and subsistence), and VAT if applicable. The successful applicant/s will be responsible for their own tax and national insurance arrangements and Rushbond Plc cannot accept any liability in relation to these.

Eligibility, Process and Copyright

This commission is offered on an open submission basis, and all creatives at any stage of their career, including artists and designers working either individually or collectively, are eligible to apply.

Preference will be given to ideas that inspire while giving confidence that the proposed solution is both practical and durable, and can be executed on time and to budget. Consideration of the design notes throughout this brief is essential. A site visit is strongly recommended before submitting a proposal in order to appreciate the uniqueness of the Corn Exchange’s interior architecture.

Submissions must be made online through CuratorSpace. Please use CuratorSpace to make any enquiries or to request additional information on the commission. All those making submissions will be notified of the outcome of their application.

The selection panel will comprise Kerry Harker (Independent Curator), Georgina Maud (Creative Assistant, Rushbond Plc), and Guy Moulson (Associate, Seven Architects). 

Rushbond Plc reserve the right not to award the commission in the event that no viable proposals are made.

Rushbond Plc will retain ownership of the commissioned work, but copyright will remain with the artist/s. The selected artist/s agree to the use of their names and information about/images of the commissioned works in marketing and PR activity coinciding with the relaunch of the Corn Exchange.

Timescale

CuratorSpace submission portal opens:
Early July 

Deadline for submissions:
Monday 6 August

Notification to successful applicant/s:
Friday 17 August

Supply of Boards to artist/designer:
Late August/early September

Production period:
September

Installation:
Late September/early October

Please note that these dates are indicative – specific dates will be agreed with the successful applicant/s and are also dependent on the progress of construction work on site.

Resources
Please refer to the separate architectural drawing of the staircases for further details.