Tower 18: The cultural and heritage exchange library Part 1 Project 2025 Lana Mahmoud University of Leeds Leeds | UK This presents the design development of Tower 18, a vertical library and cultural centre located in the heart of Leeds. Named after its 18-storey form, the tower reflects a compact and efficient architectural response to a dense urban site, while asserting a strong civic presence within the cityscape. The project was conceived around the idea of connectivity - not only in terms of physical circulation within the building, but also in how it connects people, cultures, and knowledge across different floors and functions. From ground-level public engagement spaces to elevated quiet reading areas with panoramic views, the spatial organisation encourages interaction and movement, both vertically and socially. A defining concept within Tower 18 is the organisation of its internal programme into five vertical clusters of three floors, each symbolically representing one of the five inhabited continents - Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. This spatial rhythm not only brings architectural clarity to the tall form, but also embodies the project’s core mission as a Heritage and Culture Exchange Library: to connect people, stories, and traditions from across the world. Each group of three floors is curated around a theme of cultural storytelling, knowledge sharing, and spatial experience, creating layered zones that celebrate diversity through material, light, and function. These stacked groupings also break down the verticality of the tower into more human-scaled experiences, offering visual variation along the façade and framed views to key city landmarks. This symbolic structuring reinforces the tower’s identity as an inclusive civic beacon, rooted in Leeds yet open to global narratives. The ground level and plaza are activated through carefully articulated landscaping and a stepped public realm, inspired by the lagoon nearby. A sunken courtyard adds a level of intrigue and invites the public down into the library’s base, fostering engagement and discovery. Tutor(s) Justin Lunn