The competition was organized by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, with Broadcasting Place beating off stiff competition from Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

A mixed use development for Leeds Metropolitan University and property group Downing, some of the building’s diversity comes from the expression of the fenestration which encorporates integrated low-energy design. The apparently random patterns were composed to ensure that the vertically modulated cuts provided an orientation-specific balance of daylight penetration and solar gain reduction. The result is a building with irregular sides which maximises natural light without creating overheating.

The design of the glazing system was chosen to complement the dramatic aesthetic of the corten steel panels, with the vertical, non-uniform fenestration patterns designed to evoke the idea of erosion within the monumental mass of steel volumes, capturing the essence of the rugged Yorkshire landscape.