St Enoch Centre
Encyclopedia
The St. Enoch Centre is a shopping mall
located in the central area
of Glasgow
, the largest city in Scotland
. The Architects were the GMW Architects
. The construction, undertaken by Sir Robert McAlpine
, began in 1986, and the building was opened to the public in May 1989. It was officially opened by the then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
, in February of the following year.
Located on the site of the former St Enoch Station
, the building is just off Glasgow's famous shopping thoroughfare, Argyle Street
and overlooks the historic St. Enoch Square
and the original Subway
station building (on the right of the photograph). The present St Enoch subway station
is now accessible by escalators, and is located just out of sight on the left hand side of the photograph.
Whilst the target of many architectural critics, the building is notable for its massive glass roof, which makes it the largest glass-covered enclosed area in Europe
. Not only does this substantially reduce heating and lighting loads - the mall area is lit entirely by natural daylight in summer, whilst the solar heat generated by the roof means that mechanical heating is only required for a week on average per year - it also earned the building its affectionate nickname "The Glasgow Greenhouse". The roof's steel framework was fabricated by the shipbuilders Scott Lithgow
.
The glass roofed element surrounds a seven storey car park, and when originally opened, an ice rink
. This was closed in 1999 when a refurbishment programme (initiated to compete with the newer Buchanan Galleries
), saw it being replaced by more shops and an enlarged restaurant area.
on the western end adjacent to St Enoch square. Although not part of the mall, there is a link bridge over Osbourne Street to the Debenhams
department store on the north side of the building - this was originally the historic Lewis's
store on Argyle Street which itself had undergone a major renovation prior to St Enoch's opening.
s to serve them. There were other minor updates - the baulstrades and handrails were replaced, and the spiral staircase in the centre of the main mall was removed, whilst the hanging wall gardens on the car park exterior walls were replaced by projection screens.
In 2008, a £100 Million refurbishment began that was expected to be complete by the end of 2009, but will be complete indefinitely in Summer 2010. This refubishment will expand the floor area to 1.3m sq. ft and includes a new entrance at the corner of Argyle Street and Buchanan Street, whilst the Argyle Street entrance built in 2000 was demolished for a second time to make way for a new facade, resulting in the closure of the TK Maxx store. In line with the extensions, the original 1980s floor tiling was replaced and the escalators at both ends of the main mall were moved to different locations and renewed.
Hamleys, G-Star RAW, H&M, Folli Follie, Henleys and Lambretta are some of the few new retail units as part of the refurbishment. Initially, the shopping centre is aiming to tender to a more upmarket niche to compete well with the high street and rival mall Buchanan Galleries
. The Tesco Metro
store formerly on Argyle Street relocated to the lower ground level of the extension, whilst the TK Maxx store that was displaced from the mall relocated to the vacant Tesco site.
St Enoch's Square is also being redeveloped in order to encourage a better public communication. The units overlooking the square will be occupied by food outlets to encourage a new civic space for Glasgow on the square and encourage the public to be able to use the space easily.
Debenham's Department Store have also recently announced that they will be undergoing a renovation as part of the centre's development, including a premier restaurant. Debenhams Glasgow is joining in on the action and undergoing an extensive make-over.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located in the central area
Glasgow city centre
Glasgow city centre is the central business district of Glasgow, Scotland. Is bounded by the High Street to the east, the River Clyde to the south and the M8 motorway to the west and north which was built through the Townhead, Charing Cross, Cowcaddens and Anderston areas in the 1960s...
of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, the largest city in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The Architects were the GMW Architects
GMW Architects
GMW Architects are an architectural practice based in the United Kingdom.-History:The practice was established in 1947 by Frank Gollins , James Melvin , and Edmund Ward and operated as Gollins Melvin Ward...
. The construction, undertaken by Sir Robert McAlpine
Sir Robert McAlpine
Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. is a private British company headquartered in London. It carries out engineering and construction for the oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, nuclear, pharmaceutical, defence, chemical, water and mining industries.-History:...
, began in 1986, and the building was opened to the public in May 1989. It was officially opened by the then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, in February of the following year.
Located on the site of the former St Enoch Station
St Enoch railway station
-External links:* *...
, the building is just off Glasgow's famous shopping thoroughfare, Argyle Street
Argyle Street, Glasgow
Argyle Street is a major thoroughfare in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland.With Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street, Argyle Street forms the main shopping artery in the city centre...
and overlooks the historic St. Enoch Square
St. Enoch Square
St. Enoch Square in Glasgow, Scotland is one of the city's main public spaces. The square is situated at the bottom end of Buchanan Street, the city's busiest shopping street. It has a subway station situated underneath the square...
and the original Subway
Glasgow Subway
The Glasgow Subway is an underground metro line in Glasgow, Scotland. Opened on 14 December 1896, it is the third-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground and the Budapest Metro. Formerly a cable railway, the Subway was later electrified, but its twin circular lines...
station building (on the right of the photograph). The present St Enoch subway station
St Enoch subway station
St Enoch subway station is the first station on the north of the River Clyde on the Glasgow Subway. It is located in Glasgow city centre, Scotland...
is now accessible by escalators, and is located just out of sight on the left hand side of the photograph.
Whilst the target of many architectural critics, the building is notable for its massive glass roof, which makes it the largest glass-covered enclosed area in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Not only does this substantially reduce heating and lighting loads - the mall area is lit entirely by natural daylight in summer, whilst the solar heat generated by the roof means that mechanical heating is only required for a week on average per year - it also earned the building its affectionate nickname "The Glasgow Greenhouse". The roof's steel framework was fabricated by the shipbuilders Scott Lithgow
Scott Lithgow
-History:The Company was formed in 1967 by the merger of Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company and Lithgows. Scott Lithgow was based in Port Glasgow and Greenock on the lower Clyde in Scotland. Scott Lithgow was nationalised and subsumed into British Shipbuilders in 1977...
.
The glass roofed element surrounds a seven storey car park, and when originally opened, an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
. This was closed in 1999 when a refurbishment programme (initiated to compete with the newer Buchanan Galleries
Buchanan Galleries
Buchanan Galleries is a shopping centre located in the central area of Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. Construction began in 1996 and the building opened to the public on 31 March 1999. Costing £250 million, it is one of the largest city centre shopping developments in the United Kingdom,...
), saw it being replaced by more shops and an enlarged restaurant area.
Shopping
Since its opening, St Enoch's anchor tenants have been British Home Stores on the eastern end of the complex, and BootsBoots UK
Boots UK Limited , is a leading pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom, with outlets in most high streets throughout the country...
on the western end adjacent to St Enoch square. Although not part of the mall, there is a link bridge over Osbourne Street to the Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
department store on the north side of the building - this was originally the historic Lewis's
Lewis's
Lewis's was a large department store in Liverpool city centre. It was formerly the flagship of a chain of department stores under the Lewis's name, that operated from 1856 to 1991, when the company went into administration. Several stores in the chain were bought by the company Owen Owen and...
store on Argyle Street which itself had undergone a major renovation prior to St Enoch's opening.
Refurbishment
The mall has undergone two major refurbishments. Between 2000-2001 the ice rink was closed, and converted into an extended food court, and the second floor above the food court area was converted into an entertainment stage. The Argyle Street exit was demolished and rebuilt with an extended mezzanine level housing a TK Maxx store (now closed), and additional shop units with new escalatorEscalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
s to serve them. There were other minor updates - the baulstrades and handrails were replaced, and the spiral staircase in the centre of the main mall was removed, whilst the hanging wall gardens on the car park exterior walls were replaced by projection screens.
In 2008, a £100 Million refurbishment began that was expected to be complete by the end of 2009, but will be complete indefinitely in Summer 2010. This refubishment will expand the floor area to 1.3m sq. ft and includes a new entrance at the corner of Argyle Street and Buchanan Street, whilst the Argyle Street entrance built in 2000 was demolished for a second time to make way for a new facade, resulting in the closure of the TK Maxx store. In line with the extensions, the original 1980s floor tiling was replaced and the escalators at both ends of the main mall were moved to different locations and renewed.
Hamleys, G-Star RAW, H&M, Folli Follie, Henleys and Lambretta are some of the few new retail units as part of the refurbishment. Initially, the shopping centre is aiming to tender to a more upmarket niche to compete well with the high street and rival mall Buchanan Galleries
Buchanan Galleries
Buchanan Galleries is a shopping centre located in the central area of Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. Construction began in 1996 and the building opened to the public on 31 March 1999. Costing £250 million, it is one of the largest city centre shopping developments in the United Kingdom,...
. The Tesco Metro
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
store formerly on Argyle Street relocated to the lower ground level of the extension, whilst the TK Maxx store that was displaced from the mall relocated to the vacant Tesco site.
St Enoch's Square is also being redeveloped in order to encourage a better public communication. The units overlooking the square will be occupied by food outlets to encourage a new civic space for Glasgow on the square and encourage the public to be able to use the space easily.
Debenham's Department Store have also recently announced that they will be undergoing a renovation as part of the centre's development, including a premier restaurant. Debenhams Glasgow is joining in on the action and undergoing an extensive make-over.