Victoria Square Shopping Centre

Victoria Square is a shopping and leisure complex located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The area includes over 70 international and local brands, restaurants and the Odeon cinema. The centre also features a dome. Victoria Square is a premium commercial, residential and leisure development in Belfast developed and built by Multi Development UK over 6 years. At approximately 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2) and costing £400m, it is the biggest and one of the most expensive property developments ever undertaken in Northern Ireland. It opened on 6 March 2008. Its anchor tenant at nearly 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) is the largest House of Fraser that the retailer has opened in the UK.

Victoria Square
LocationBelfast, Northern Ireland
Coordinates54.5983°N 5.9253°W / 54.5983; -5.9253
Opening date6 March 2008 (2008-03-06)
DeveloperMulti Development UK
No. of stores and services98
No. of anchor tenants1
Total retail floor area75,000 m2 (810,000 sq ft)
No. of floors7
Parking1000
Websitevictoriasquare.com

Design
Victoria Square Main Atrium 2010

A key element in the development is two covered, multi-level streets linked to the massive glass dome measuring 35 m in diameter. A public square covered entirely by the glass dome serves as the hub of the entire area. The ornate Jaffe Fountain, constructed in the 1870s by former Lord Mayor Otto Jaffe in memory of his father, has been restored to its original location in Victoria Square. Victoria Square is a neighbourhood consisting of 17 contextual different buildings. Pedestrian links to nearby business, nightlife and shopping streets on Laganside, Donegall Place, Royal Avenue and Ann Street. Victoria Square includes a wide variety of shops for males, females and children as well as a wonderful 80 ft viewing area. Victoria Square was developed by Multi Development UK Ltd in co-operation with T+T Design. The Architects are Building Design Partnership and T+T Design, the in house architects of Multi Corporation.[1]

Sustainability
Construction of Victoria Square development August 2007

In employment terms, over 3,000 people were involved in the construction phase of Victoria Square, with a further 3,000 people gaining employment in the scheme through jobs in retail, security and the service industries. Environmentally, a large section of the roof has been covered in Sedum in a futile attempt to reduce the carbon footprint of Victoria Square. This material soaks up rainwater allowing it to evaporate naturally over time rather than overload draining systems.

Victoria Square is the largest ever retail-led regeneration scheme to open in Northern Ireland, covering 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres). Multi Development UK was appointed Department for Social Development's development partner in 2000. The scheme was granted outline-planning approval in 2002. Multi Corporation sold Victoria Square to Commerz Real in 2004. Today Victoria Square is valued at over £400m. Construction commenced in April 2004 and lasted 46 months to completion and was overseen by local joint venture contractors Farrans and Gilbert Ash.

Key facts
  • Approx. 800,000 ft² (75,000m²) of retail over four floors
  • Has added to Belfast city centre's shopping offer by nearly a third
  • Q-Park provides 2 levels of basement parking with c. 1,000 spaces[2]
  • 98 unit shops – ranging in size from 300 square feet (28 m2) to 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2), leisure units including an 8 screen Odeon Cinema, restaurants, bars and cafés
  • 106 apartments[3]
  • New public space topped by the dome with viewing zone overlooking the sedum roof
  • Pedestrian links to nearby business, nightlife and shopping streets on Laganside, Donegall Place, Royal Avenue and Ann Street.
  • 17.2 million people expected to visit Victoria Square per year placing it in the top ten shopping centres in the UK.
  • On 24 November 2013, a car bomb detonated outside a Victoria Square car park. There were no injuries.[4]
  • Victoria Square, October 2009
  • Information board, Victoria Square, October 2009
  • Victoria Square, October 2009
  • Viewing gallery, Victoria Square, October 2009

Rail access

See also

References
  1. World Architecture. "Victoria Square Belfast : Building". E-architect.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  2. Q Park. "Belfast Victoria Square". Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  3. Belfast Telegraph. "Victoria Square apartments sell out". Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  4. "Belfast: Explosion at Victoria Square Centre". Belfast, Northern Ireland. Sky News. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
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