O2 Centre
Encyclopedia
The O2 Centre is an indoor shopping and leisure centre on Finchley Road
, London
, near Finchley Road tube station
. It is located in between Hampstead
, West Hampstead
and Swiss Cottage
.
Owned by the X-Leisure group, and opened in 1998. Despite the same name and very similar logo, it is no relation to the O2
telecommunications brand, which was launched 4 years later. The name was chosen as reference to the spacious feel of the building, as O2 is the chemical formula
for Oxygen
.
were demolished in preparation for the centre, but problems with planning permission, with concerns over traffic in particular, led to construction being delayed by many years. A great deal of consultation took place with local residents, including asking them to vote from a choice of 3 designs for the exterior of the building, relating to different kinds of periodic elements - and asking them to suggest a name.
Original plans included having a bowling alley in the location eventually occupied by Esporta, Sainsbury's being in the warehouse-style building occupied by Homebase, and the lower ground level (now Sainsburys) being home to several non-food retailers.
The original £15m budget for the build was exceeded in early 1997, causing a temporary delay in the build until additional capital investors could be found.
, and several small stalls selling jewellery, snacks and nuts. Sainsbury's finished their refit in August 2008 which saw the 4500sq/m store increase to over 9000sq/m partly thanks to a removal of many checkouts in favour of self checkouts.
, Wetherspoon's, Starbucks
, The Walkabout, Yo! Sushi
, Cumin, Fine Burger Company and Zuccato.
cinema, Starbucks Coffee, Esporta
health club, Gymboree, and the London International Gallery of Children's Art. There is one of the largest dance studios in London
on the top floor of the centre.
Cafe, Pizza Hut
, Old Orleans, Ed's Easy Diner, Smollensky's, Babe Ruth's sports bar, Bar Circa, and China Red.
with the Jubilee
and Metropolitan
lines.
Finchley Road and Frognal
station with the North London Line
is a short walk away and West Hampstead railway stations are also in close proximity.
There are several bus and coach routes that stop right outside the O2 centre including 13
, 82
, 113
, 187 and 268
. Also close by are C11, 31
, 46, 139
, 328
and 603 bus stops. Local night buses are N13, N28, N31 and 139
.
Finchley Road
Finchley Road, an inner city main road which runs for about 7 kilometres/4 miles, is one of the major thoroughfares of north London, England.Originally named Finchley New Road, it was built as a turnpike road in the late 1820s/early 1830s to provide a by-pass to the existing route north from London...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, near Finchley Road tube station
Finchley Road tube station
Finchley Road tube station is a London Underground station at the corner of Finchley Road and Canfield Gardens in the London Borough of Camden, North London. It is on the Jubilee Line, between West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage and on the Metropolitan Line between Baker Street and Wembley Park. It is...
. It is located in between Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, West Hampstead
West Hampstead
West Hampstead is an area in northwest London, England, situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to the east, and South Hampstead to the south. Until the late 19th century, the locale was a small village called West End...
and Swiss Cottage
Swiss Cottage
Swiss Cottage is a district of the London Borough of Camden in London, England. Thedistrict is located north-west of Charing Cross. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and is the location of Swiss Cottage tube station.-Etymology:...
.
Owned by the X-Leisure group, and opened in 1998. Despite the same name and very similar logo, it is no relation to the O2
O2 (United Kingdom)
Telefónica UK Limited is a telecommunications, internet and financial services provider in the United Kingdom owned by Telefónica, forming part of its Telefónica Europe division...
telecommunications brand, which was launched 4 years later. The name was chosen as reference to the spacious feel of the building, as O2 is the chemical formula
Chemical formula
A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
for Oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
.
Development
The opening of the centre in 1998 came after many years of the site remaining derelict. In the early 1990s the buildings along Finchley RoadFinchley Road
Finchley Road, an inner city main road which runs for about 7 kilometres/4 miles, is one of the major thoroughfares of north London, England.Originally named Finchley New Road, it was built as a turnpike road in the late 1820s/early 1830s to provide a by-pass to the existing route north from London...
were demolished in preparation for the centre, but problems with planning permission, with concerns over traffic in particular, led to construction being delayed by many years. A great deal of consultation took place with local residents, including asking them to vote from a choice of 3 designs for the exterior of the building, relating to different kinds of periodic elements - and asking them to suggest a name.
Original plans included having a bowling alley in the location eventually occupied by Esporta, Sainsbury's being in the warehouse-style building occupied by Homebase, and the lower ground level (now Sainsburys) being home to several non-food retailers.
The original £15m budget for the build was exceeded in early 1997, causing a temporary delay in the build until additional capital investors could be found.
Shopping
Shopping facilities include a 24 hour Sainsbury's, Waterstones, Optique 20/20, HabitatHabitat (retailer)
Habitat Retail Ltd. is a retailer of household furnishings in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and has franchised outlets in other countries. Founded in 1964 by Terence Conran, it was sold by the IKANO Group, owned by the Kamprad family, in December 2009 to Hilco, a restructuring...
, and several small stalls selling jewellery, snacks and nuts. Sainsbury's finished their refit in August 2008 which saw the 4500sq/m store increase to over 9000sq/m partly thanks to a removal of many checkouts in favour of self checkouts.
Bars and restaurants
Eating facilities include Nando'sNando's
Nando's is a casual dining restaurant group originating from South Africa with a Portuguese/Mozambican theme. Founded in 1987, Nando's operates in thirty countries on five continents....
, Wetherspoon's, Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, The Walkabout, Yo! Sushi
Yo! Sushi
YO! Sushi is a British restaurant chain which was started in 1997 and is owned by Quilvest and the YO! Sushi Senior Management team. YO! Sushi specialises in delivering sushi to customers using the Japanese style 'kaiten' conveyor belt method...
, Cumin, Fine Burger Company and Zuccato.
Other facilities
Other facilities include the VueVue (cinema)
Vue Entertainment , formerly known as SBC International Cinemas, is a cinema company in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The company was formed in May 2003 when SBC acquired 36 Warner Village cinemas. There are now 69 Vue cinemas, with 654 screens totaling 140,500 seats, including the rebranded...
cinema, Starbucks Coffee, Esporta
Esporta Health Clubs
Esporta Health & Fitness Clubs is a chain of health clubs in the United Kingdom, which also once owned clubs in Spain. The clubs offer a wide variety of different fitness facilities, including gyms, swimming pools and courts for racquet sports...
health club, Gymboree, and the London International Gallery of Children's Art. There is one of the largest dance studios in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on the top floor of the centre.
Previous Occupants
Restaurants and bars which previously had spaces in the O2 Centre include the Capital RadioCapital Radio
Capital London is a London based radio station which launched on 16 October 1973 and is owned by Global Radio. On 3 January 2011 it formed part of the nine station Capital radio network.- Pre-launch :...
Cafe, Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
, Old Orleans, Ed's Easy Diner, Smollensky's, Babe Ruth's sports bar, Bar Circa, and China Red.
Transport
The closest tube station is Finchley RoadFinchley Road tube station
Finchley Road tube station is a London Underground station at the corner of Finchley Road and Canfield Gardens in the London Borough of Camden, North London. It is on the Jubilee Line, between West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage and on the Metropolitan Line between Baker Street and Wembley Park. It is...
with the Jubilee
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
and Metropolitan
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
lines.
Finchley Road and Frognal
Finchley Road & Frognal railway station
Finchley Road & Frognal railway station is on Finchley Road in the London Borough of Camden in North London. It is on the North London Line, and the station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground. It is in Travelcard Zone 2...
station with the North London Line
North London Line
The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...
is a short walk away and West Hampstead railway stations are also in close proximity.
There are several bus and coach routes that stop right outside the O2 centre including 13
London Buses route 13
London Buses route 13 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to London Sovereign.-History:...
, 82
London Buses route 82
London Buses route 82 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
, 113
London Buses route 113
London Buses route 113 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. This service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
, 187 and 268
London Buses route 268
London Buses route 268 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva Shires & Essex.-History:...
. Also close by are C11, 31
London Buses route 31
London Buses route 31 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, 46, 139
London Buses route 139
London Buses route 139 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline for London Buses.-History:...
, 328
London Buses route 328
London Buses route 328 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
and 603 bus stops. Local night buses are N13, N28, N31 and 139
London Buses route 139
London Buses route 139 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline for London Buses.-History:...
.