Reprinted from Volume 5 No. 3
July 1968
NSC 31
January 19
Yorkshire Television Ltd began as
a race against time in the middle
of 1967 for on 12 June the company
was allotted the new ITV
broadcasting contract for the completely
new Yorkshire TV region:
and transmissions were due to
begin in July 1968. The company
was thus faced with the task of designing
and constructing a major
new studio complex within this
extremely short time period.
The architects were commissioned
to prepare a feasibility study as
part of the company’s overall
proposals submitted to the ITA.
Their proposals were for a major
TV Centre costing £1.5m on a site
made available by the City Corporation
at Leeds and which was to
be completed in two stages. The
first stage included all the essential
production facilities which the
company would need in order to
begin broadcasting in July this
year, further studios and administrative
offices to be completed as
soon as possible thereafter.
The architects built up and co-ordinated
a full project team which
was prepared to go ahead at high
speed with design and construction
as soon as the ITA announced
its award. Prior to the design
team commencing its final design
of the building and its structure,
the general contractor carried out
some initial studies for the construction
period required for the
superstructure in both steel and
concrete and, as a result of these
investigations, it was concluded
that a steel frame would give the
shortest construction time.
An additional factor in the decision
to adopt a steel frame was
that in view of the time factor involved,
structural design had to
proceed concurrently with and at
times ahead of general planning
and the relative ease of adaptability
of a steel frame was felt to be
desirable. The main requirements
of Phase I construction consisted
of two studios measuring 80ft by
64ft and 40ft by 40ft respectively
with three storey ancillary accommodation
housing technical areas,
control rooms, ventilation plant
etc and a single-storey cafeteria,
kitchen and workshop space. For
acoustic reasons the structures of
the two studios are entirely independent
of the surrounding threestorey
structure. The frame of the
larger of the two studios included
in the first phase is constructed
with 60ft span lattice trusses supported
on steel stanchions.
Final lateral stability of this studio
structure, which, of course,
derives no support from the surrounding
structure is provided by
9 in thick infill panels of brickwork
necessary for acoustic reasons but
temporary vertical bracing was
used to provide initial stability until
sufficient brickwork had been
constructed. The studio roof structure
carries a complete grid of suspended
steelwork over the entire
area of the studios to facilitate the
support of the extensive production
lighting required. In the interest
of speed the steel structure
was kept as simple as possible.
Composite floor construction was
adopted for the three storey block.
A proprietary precast prestressed
plank floor with in situ topping
was chosen for the floor slab and
this was kept to a standard thickness
throughout, varying intensities
of superimposed loading being
catered for by adjusting the centres
of the steel floor beams within
the general stanchion grid of 25ft
by 20ft. Black bolting was used for
site connections as far as possible
with high strength friction grip
bolts where moment connections
were required. Concrete encasure
of the steelwork was confined to
the stanchions and perimeter wall
beams, the necessary two hour
fire protection being provided elsewhere
by the use of vermiculite
panel cladding.
Final design of the structure was
begun towards the end of June
1967 and the steelwork sub-contractor
commenced erection during
the last week in August 1967
and completed in November 1967
within days of the programme’s
target. During this comparatively
short period the steelwork subcontractor
had erected some 450
tons of steelwork and carried out
numerous detailed revisions to
the structure which had become
necessary as final planning proceeded.
Sections of the building
were completed and handed over
to the clients to begin technical installation
progressively from 5th
March 1968.
Second phase construction is programmed
for completion in early
1969. This phase includes a further
main studio measuring 80ft
by 100ft, additional three-storey
accommodation and a large single
storey scenery workshop. A
further 250 tons of steelwork are
involved, the construction adopted
being similar in all respects to the
first phase.
The studios are sited at the northwest
end of the Kirkstall industrial
estate about one mile from the
centre of Leeds. The site is a slum
clearance area, the greater part of
which is to be a new landscaped
public recreation space which will
adjoin the new studios.
These are the first new studios in
Britain to be designed for colour
transmission from the outset.
Architects: George/Trew/Dunn
Consulting Engineers: W. V. Zinn
& Associates.
Designed for Colour
Transmission
Yorkshire Television Studios
50 Years Ago
Steelwork under construction: quick erection time was an outstanding
feature of this project
Interior of studio: view from the gallery showing the windows to the control
rooms, production lighting grid and the acoustic treatment to the walls.