The Centre (Livingston) facts for kids

The Centre is a large shopping mall located in Livingston, Scotland. It used to be known as 'Almondvale Shopping Centre' and before that, 'Livingston Regional Centre'. As of 2019, it is one of the biggest shopping centres in the whole United Kingdom!

How The Centre Started

The very first part of The Centre was built in the 1970s. It was created by a group called the Livingston Development Corporation (LDC). Back then, it had smaller, local shops like a fashion store called Virgo and a music shop called Coda. There were also bigger, well-known stores like WoolCo (which later became Woolworths) and FineFare.

The shopping centre used to be quite dark inside. It felt a bit like an outdoor street, but it had a roof over it. Over time, the mall was updated to look much nicer. They put in new, brighter floor tiles and better lighting. The Centre also got its own special logos and branding on the walls to make it more modern.

Adding More Space: Phase Two

Later, people decided to make the shopping centre even bigger. A second part, called Phase Two, was added to the front of the existing building. This new section opened in 1995. It included a special supermarket and two tall towers at the entrances. Phase Two brought in more famous shops like Iceland, BHS, Vodafone, and Boots.

The Newest Part: Phase Three

The latest big addition to The Centre happened in 2008. This new part was called 'The Elements'. The idea was to make it feel like you were shopping outdoors, even though you were still inside! To do this, they built a very high glass roof. This roof covered a wide pathway that looked like a street, with grey, stone-like tiles on the floor.

The Elements opened in 2008 and is home to popular stores such as River Island, Next, Debenhams, and Marks & Spencer.

Different Areas of The Centre

The Centre is divided into three main areas, like different neighborhoods in a town:

• Almondvale Walk is the oldest part, built in the 1970s.
• Almondvale Place is the second part, which opened in 1995 and has the two tall towers.
• Elements Square, the Wintergarden, and The Avenue are all part of the newest section, 'The Elements', which opened in 2008.

The Centre is also located right next to another big shopping area called Livingston Designer Outlet.

Main Stores and Unique Spaces

The Centre has three very large main stores, often called "anchor stores." These are Marks & Spencer, Primark, and Debenhams. Besides these, there are many other smaller shops.

The newest part, Elements Square, has a special see-through roof. This roof covers its four shopping streets, called "avenues." There's also a public area inside called the Wintergarden. Elements Square is designed to feel like you're outside, but it protects you from bad weather. Its wide streets and high roof make shopping in Livingston a new experience.

The Centre is like a small town with five different zones: Elements Square, Wintergarden, The Avenue, Almondvale Walk, and Almondvale Place.

You can find The Centre easily, as it's just off Junction 3 of the M8 motorway, which is between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Other Shops You Can Find

Some of the many other stores at The Centre include: Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, H.M.V., Waterstone's, Dorothy Perkins, Next, H&M, Primark, Asda, WHSmith, New Look, Argos, Topshop, Topman, and Schuh.

A Change in Ownership

In December 2014, the company that owned The Centre, 'Land Securities', sold it to another investment company called 'HSBC Investments'. This was a big change, as Land Securities had managed the shopping centre for over 30 years!