Here are some guide notes on how to find the Howard Assembly Room in Leeds
The address is 32 New Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6NU.
If you are coming north up New Briggate from the Headrow on the right-hand side cross the first road down to your right which is Harrison Street. Then the entrance is just there on your right on the corner. If you are coming down New Briggate towards the Headrow on the left-hand side after Leeds Grand Theatre, their own box office and the new Opera North café, you will find the entrance just there on your left just before Harrison Street.
Here are some guide notes for getting around the Howard Assembly Room
Ground Floor
There is a revolving door and a pull door to the right of it which you can pull towards you using the handle. If the box office is closed neither door will open. Straight ahead of you is the box office counter with a lowered counter on the right. Box office staff can book you tickets print them out and give you any information you need regarding Opera North and Howard Assembly Room performances.
Carry on round to your left to a small lobby with two chairs on your left and a water cooler straight ahead set within the wall. On the right there is a small flight of eight steps with rails either side which curves slightly up to the right. And to the right of the steps is a small open lift for those who cannot take the stairs. You call the lift by pressing the button on the wall to the right of it. Then enter it by pulling open the door and closing it behind you. On a panel on your right at waist height, there are two large square buttons with 0 and 1 also written in braille. Then another button further along on the right is the alarm. Press and hold the 1 to go up to the atrium level. Keep pressing the button or the lift will stop. At the top, you will hear a ding, and then you can push open the door opposite to the one you entered, to exit the lift.
Carry on straight ahead and through a door which may be already open on a performance night, and you are in the main atrium which is a large tall bright open space with skylight at the top.
To get to the lift to other floors follow the wall on the left straight ahead for around five metres. You can call the lift by pressing the up or down arrows on the right. It holds up to 14 people. There are buttons on the right in two columns. The top button 3 is at the top which takes you to the balcony. Directly under it is 1 which takes you to the toilets level and below that minus 1 which is a private floor. At the top of the right column you have 2 which takes you to the stalls level and below that 0 which is a raised button which is the floor you are on. And below that you have a button for keeping the doors open and below that the alarm.
Level One – toilets
As you exit the lift go round to your right for the toilets. There are two accessible toilets on your right or carry straight on and at the end there are several women’s toilets to your left and some gender-neutral toilets to your right. Each toilet has a lock by the handle which you turn up and to the left to lock, a toilet straight ahead of you with a small button set in the back wall to the right of the toilet at around waist height to flush a sink to your right with lift-up tap and a hand-dryer to the right of the sink that is automatic.
Level Two – stalls
As you exit the lift turn left and follow the wall left again to get into the stalls. On your right is a small bar where you can buy coffees beer wine and soft drinks that you can bring into the venue.
You arrive in at the back of the venue. In front of you is a raised sound desk and usually a bank of tiered seating which has railings on either side of it. There will be ushers who can show you to your seat which will either be on the flat floor in front of the tiered seating, or up on the tiers which you access via a central walkway of low steps. The chairs are metal with leather seat and back support and are usually linked together.
Level Three – balcony
As you exit the lift turn left and follow the wall left again to get into the balcony. On your right is a small bar where you can buy coffees beer wine and soft drinks that you can bring into the venue.
You arrive in at the back of the venue. Ushers will be able to show you to your seat. You take a few steps down to reach the bench seating along the sides of the balcony, or there are three rows of permanent cushioned seating in the central section – rows A B and C.
Stairs
If you prefer to take the stairs then as you arrive in the atrium walk diagonally across the space to the far corner and you’ll find the first staircase. Go up a short flight to level one and go round to your left to find the toilet area. Carry on around to your left and you’ll reach another flight which takes you to level two. Carry straight on and you will have the bar on your right where you can order drinks or carry straight on and around to your left and you will reach the stalls. And if you are heading to the balcony on level three, carry on up one more flight of stairs, and you will again have the bar on the right carry on ahead and round to the left and you will arrive into the balcony.
