Friars Square

The original Friars Square (or Friar's Square) was created in the 1960s as the Aylesbury Town Centre Redevelopment. It transformed the south-west part of the town centre including the Market Square and Silver Street areas. Opened in 1967, it included a number of shops in an open-air pedestrian only area, and included a new location for the town's market.[4] The Cadena cafe, which later became a Wimpy, was housed in a modern architectural pavilion over the open market.[5]

The current shopping centre was formally opened in 1993 at a cost of GB£70m, following the closure and extension of the previous town centre development of the same name. The redevelopment was designed by Stanley Bragg Architects.[6] The large Woolworth building was integrated into the development, to house the new anchor store (now House of Fraser) and the library.

In 2007 the centre was sold by F&C Property Asset Management to Multiplex.[7] In 2011, ownership passed to Royal Bank of Scotland's West Register asset division, as the newly merged Brookfield Multiplex subsequently moved out of the UK retail market following its acquisition of Multiplex.[8] RBS had previously provided the debt for Multiplex to buy Friars Square for GB£89.5 million.

In 2012, the vacant office building was proposed to be converted into 50 apartments.[9]

In January 2013, a branch of clothing chain H&M opened in Friars Square,[10] on the site of the old HMV store which was closed on 11 February 2012.[11]

In September 2013, a branch of rival clothing chain Topshop opened in Friars Square, in a newly constructed part in the middle of the main shopping mall.[12]

In October 2017, a branch of Smiggle specialising in stationery products opened.[13]

In June 2018 the Friars Square security team won Security Team of the Year title at the annual SCEPTRE Awards at the Dorchester in London.[14]