Victoria Centre, Nottingham
Encyclopedia
The Victoria Centre is a shopping centre in Nottingham
, England
. Its four main anchor store
s are John Lewis
, House of Fraser
, Boots and Next. Other notable stores are The Entertainer
, Topshop
, Republic, Monsoon
, Swarovski
, GAP
, Tesco Metro and HMV.
The centre has various fashion and high street stores as well as cafes, restaurants, a health & fitness centre and a bus station. The Victoria Centre's is in direct competition with the Broadmarsh shopping centre to the south. 3.2 million people live within a 45 minute drive of the centre.
, which was demolished in 1967. The clock tower and the Hilton Hotel
are the only parts of the old station to survive.
The shopping centre was built between 1967 and 1972 by Taylor Woodrow
. Above the shopping centre rise the 26 floor, 256 feet (72m) high Victoria centre flats, which run North to South along the length. There are 464 flats and 36000 sq ft (3,344.5 m²) of offices.
In 1973, the sculptor Roland Emmett commissioned a water powered clock known as The Aqua Horological Tintinnabulator. During the 1980s and 1990s it played a section of music at each quarter hour composed by the Frenchman Jean-Philippe Rameau
(1683–1764), Gigue en Rondeau II. This musical sculpture is by Boots, Next and John Lewis and is a popular meeting place.
In 1997 the centre was extended to give more retail space and anchor House of Fraser. Following this was a refit of refurbishing of the rest of the centre.
.
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its four main anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s are John Lewis
John Lewis (department store)
-Recent developments:In June 2004, John Lewis announced plans to open its first store in Northern Ireland at the Sprucefield Park development, the province's largest out of town shopping centre, located outside Lisburn and from Belfast. The application was approved in June 2005 and the opening of...
, House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
, Boots and Next. Other notable stores are The Entertainer
The Entertainer (Amersham) Ltd.
The Entertainer Ltd. is the United Kingdom's largest independent toy retailer, founded by husband and wife team Catherine and Gary Grant in 1981, when he purchased a local toy shop in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England...
, Topshop
Topshop
Topshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
, Republic, Monsoon
Monsoon Stores Ltd
Monsoon Accessorize is a design-led retailer based in London operating two international retail clothing chains - Monsoon and Accessorize.- History :...
, Swarovski
Swarovski
Swarovski is the brand name for a range of precisely-cut crystal and related luxury products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria...
, GAP
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
, Tesco Metro and HMV.
The centre has various fashion and high street stores as well as cafes, restaurants, a health & fitness centre and a bus station. The Victoria Centre's is in direct competition with the Broadmarsh shopping centre to the south. 3.2 million people live within a 45 minute drive of the centre.
History
The centre stands on the site of the old Nottingham Victoria railway stationNottingham Victoria railway station
Nottingham Victoria railway station was a Great Central Railway and Great Northern Railway railway station in Nottingham, England. It was designed by the architect Albert Edward Lambert....
, which was demolished in 1967. The clock tower and the Hilton Hotel
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
are the only parts of the old station to survive.
The shopping centre was built between 1967 and 1972 by Taylor Woodrow
Taylor Woodrow
Taylor Woodrow was one of the largest British housebuilding and general construction companies. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but merged with rival George Wimpey to create Taylor Wimpey on 3 July 2007.-Early years:Frank Taylor was...
. Above the shopping centre rise the 26 floor, 256 feet (72m) high Victoria centre flats, which run North to South along the length. There are 464 flats and 36000 sq ft (3,344.5 m²) of offices.
In 1973, the sculptor Roland Emmett commissioned a water powered clock known as The Aqua Horological Tintinnabulator. During the 1980s and 1990s it played a section of music at each quarter hour composed by the Frenchman Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau was one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the Baroque era. He replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera and is also considered the leading French composer for the harpsichord of his time, alongside François...
(1683–1764), Gigue en Rondeau II. This musical sculpture is by Boots, Next and John Lewis and is a popular meeting place.
In 1997 the centre was extended to give more retail space and anchor House of Fraser. Following this was a refit of refurbishing of the rest of the centre.
Victoria Centre Market
On the first floor, opposite John Lewis, is the city's largest indoor market which sells a range of goods including, amongst other things, fresh food, meat and fish. The market is open from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 - 5:00pm. In 2008 it won greenest market in the Midlands award from the National Market Traders FederationNational Market Traders Federation
The National Market Traders' Federation is an organisation based in the borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire.-History:It was founded in 1899 by some South Yorkshire market traders to represent their interests on a broader level. There are around 1,400 markets in the UK.-Function:It maintains a...
.
See also
- List of shopping centres in the United Kingdom
- Nottingham City CentreNottingham City CentreNottingham city centre is the cultural, commercial, financial and historical heart of Nottingham, England. Nottingham's city centre represents the central area of the Greater Nottingham conurbation....
- Broadmarsh Shopping Centre