[3][4] The building was opened on 17 April 1884 by the Mayor, Alderman Edwin Woodhouse as the Leeds Municipal Offices.

It was intended that various scattered borough departments would be accommodated in the building so that the administration of Leeds would be concentrated in the Municipal Offices and the Town Hall.

There were 26 entries and the winning architect was a Leeds man of Scottish origin – George Corson.

The "business" side was represented on the ground floor by the large pay office (currently the Central Lending Library) where local people came to settle their gas, water and rates bills.

On 3 October 1888 the Mayor, Alderman Archibald Witham Scarr (1827–1904) opened the new Art Gallery extension, designed by William Henry Thorp (1852–1944).

The 1950s panelling and bookcases were removed, along with the false ceiling, to once more reveal the Tiled Hall and the inevitable damage caused by work done in the 1950s.

The renovation was completed in June 2007, including opening up the magnificent Victorian tiled hall (used as a café and bookshop) which links the gallery and the library.

The building was constructed of Yorkshire stone from the local quarries at Dacre Bank, Harehills, Meanwood and Weetwood.

The entrance steps are made of Shap granite; a tough, slip proof material commonly used for kerb edges in Leeds.

The stairwell area pillars are made of Devonshire marble and there are beautiful stained glass windows, though unfortunately their provenance is unknown.

The current Central Lending Library was originally the office where people went to pay their rates, gas and water bills.

The roof was so magnificent it was feared that "people will be continually gazing up at it, instead of quietly reading the magazines and newspapers".

Behind... stood a mixed group of politicians, barristers, clergymen, magistrates, merchants and manufacturers.

The original marble pillars were revealed and restored, as well as the tiled walls, with medallion portraits in relief – among them Homer, Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe, Burns, Scott, Horace and Macaulay.

All general interior carving (except the alabaster arch) is by a team led by John Wormald Appleyard of Leeds.

The side room was originally a small museum, only 22 ft square, and contained, among other exhibits, a stuffed crocodile.

The oak roof is divided by wrought iron principals into panels – and there are mirrored walls at each end of the room at gallery level.

[11] There are over 3,000 items in the collection of books, pamphlets and periodicals, the majority covering the subjects of military and naval history.