Victoria Square Shopping Centre Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Victoria Square

Location	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Coordinates	54°35′54″N 5°55′31″W / 54.5983°N 5.9253°W / 54.5983; -5.9253
Opening date	6 March 2008; 16 years ago (2008-03-06)
Developer	Multi Development UK
No. of stores and services	98
No. of anchor tenants	1
Total retail floor area	75,000 m² (810,000 sq ft)
No. of floors	7
Parking	1000

Victoria Square is a shopping and leisure complex located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The area includes over 70 shops, several restaurants and the Odeon cinema. Opened on 6 March 2008, Victoria Square is a commercial, residential and leisure development which took 6 years to build. 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.

Design
Sustainability
Key facts
Gallery
Rail Access
See also

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.

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 direct 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. 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 were overseen by local joint venture contractors Farrans and Gilbert Ash. Sedum roof installed by BBS Green Roofing.

Key facts

Regenerated the southern quarter of Belfast's city centre
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
98 unit shops – ranging in size from c. 300 ft² (2,787m²) to c. 60,000 ft² (5,574m²), Leisure units including an 8 screen Odeon Cinema, restaurants, bars and cafés
106 apartments
New public space topped by the dome with viewing zone overlooking the sedum roof installed by BBS Green Roofing
Pedestrian links to nearby business, nightlife and shopping streets on Laganside, Donegall Place, Royal Avenue and Ann Street.
39 signed new retailers to Belfast and Northern Ireland including: House of Fraser, Cruise, Hugo Boss, Reiss, All Saints, Ted Baker, Puma, Pepe Jeans, LK Bennett, H&M, Coast, Firetrap, Pumpkin Patch, Tom Tailor, Geox, Faith, Fossil, Regis, Free Spirit, Spur, Nandos, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Prezzo, Odeon Cinemas, Urban Outfitters, Hardy Amies, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Apple Store, Rituals, Lainidor, Pull and Bear, Art and Hobby, T.G.I. Friday's, Dantes, Frankie & Benny's, Hollister Co.
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 at 11.15pm. There were no injuries, although commuters faced traffic delays on 25 November as the security alert ended.