London Trocadero facts for kids
The London Trocadero was a famous entertainment spot in London, England. It was located on Coventry Street, with another entrance on Shaftesbury Avenue. It first opened in 1896 as a fancy restaurant, which closed in 1965.
In 1984, the building was reopened as a big place for fun and entertainment. It became very well known for its video game attractions called SegaWorld, which opened in 1996. Later, SegaWorld became smaller and was renamed "Funland" before it closed in 2011. Part of the building was turned into a hotel in 2020.
The Trocadero building actually includes several older, historic London buildings. One of these is the old London Pavilion Theatre. Over the years, these buildings have been home to many different shows and venues.
The name Trocadero comes from the Battle of Trocadero in 1823. This battle inspired the name of the Palais du Trocadéro in Paris, France. The London Trocadero then took its name from the Paris landmark. People have called it "the Troc" or "Chicarito" since at least 1919.
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History of the London Trocadero
The Original Restaurant (1896-1965)
The Trocadero Restaurant was opened in 1896 by a company called J. Lyons and Co. It was located on Coventry Street, close to the many theatres in London's West End.
The restaurant was designed in a grand Opera Baroque style. This fancy style made it a very popular and important place for dining. Many other "Trocadero" places around the world got their names from this original London restaurant. Inside, the grand staircase had cool murals showing stories about King Arthur. There was even a special bar just for gentlemen.
During World War I, the Trocadero started something new called "concert tea." People could enjoy tea in the Empire Hall while listening to a full live concert. After the war, the Grill Room featured cabaret shows, which are live performances with singing and dancing. The Trocadero Restaurant closed its doors on February 13, 1965.
Reopening as an Entertainment Hub (1984-1996)
In 1984, the Trocadero was completely changed. It became a big entertainment, cinema, and shopping complex aimed at tourists. It had a huge amount of space for fun activities, about 450,000 square feet (42,000 m2). At the time, it was the biggest entertainment project in the United Kingdom.
The outside of the building kept its original fancy Baroque look. However, the inside was completely redone. A new attraction called the Guinness Book of World Records Exhibition was added. But not many businesses wanted to rent space there at first. Nickelodeon UK even broadcast live from the Trocadero between 1994 and 1996.
SegaWorld and Funland (1996-2011)
The Trocadero Centre got a big boost in the late 1990s. Pepsi and Sega became major sponsors. SegaWorld, a huge amusement arcade filled with video games, opened on September 7, 1996. It even had a giant statue of Sonic the Hedgehog above the main entrance!
Pepsi also sponsored a ride called The Pepsi Max Drop. From 1997, they sponsored the Pepsi IMAX cinema. This was the first 3D IMAX movie theatre in the UK.
However, not enough people visited the Trocadero. The Guinness Records exhibition closed in the mid-1990s. After Sega stopped its sponsorship in 1999, Segaworld changed its name to Funland. This new name came from an older arcade that had been in the building's basement since 1990. Funland was also made smaller.
The Pepsi-sponsored IMAX cinema closed in March 2000. This happened shortly after a newer IMAX cinema, the London IMAX, opened on the South Bank. The Drop Ride also closed around the same time. You could still see parts of old attractions around the centre. For example, a wall with a gun-barrel design used to be part of the James Bond: License to Thrill ride.
The top floors of the Trocadero stayed open until autumn 2002. Then, they were closed, and a drinks machine was placed to block off the disused escalator. This escalator was the original entrance to Segaworld. In October 2005, the centre was used as a background for the final scenes of Madonna's music video for her song "Hung Up."
A company called Criterion Capital bought the Trocadero in 2005. They announced plans to completely redevelop the site, while keeping the historic outside look. In 2009, a plan was shared to build a pod hotel with 500 affordable rooms inside the building. The "rocket" escalator was removed in May 2011. What was left of Funland finally closed in July 2011.
