Victoria Square Shopping Centre

Victoria Square is a shopping complex located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The area includes over 70 shops, several restaurants and an Odeon cinema. Opened on 6 March 2008,[1] Victoria Square is a commercial, residential and leisure development that took 6 years to build. Its anchor tenant at nearly 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) is the largest House of Fraser (now Frasers) that the retailer has opened in the UK.[2]

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 was developed by Multi Development UK Ltd. The architects were Building Design Partnership and T+T Design, the in house architects of Multi Corporation.[3] At approximately 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2) and costing £400m, it is the biggest and was one of the most expensive property developments ever undertaken in Northern Ireland.[4]

Victoria Square Main Atrium 2010

An element of the development is two covered, multi-level streets linked to the glass dome which measures 37 m in diameter and 45 m in height. A public square covered entirely by the glass dome serves as the hub of the entire area. The 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.[5] There are pedestrian links to nearby business, nightlife and shopping streets on Laganside, Donegall Place, Royal Avenue and Ann Street.

A large section of the center's roof is covered in Sedum in an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint of Victoria Square.

Construction of Victoria Square development August 2007

Facilities

The development spans approximately 800,000 ft² (75,000m²) of retail over four floors. Q-Park provides 2 levels of basement parking with c. 1,000 car spaces.[6]

The retail space includes 98 unit shops, with leisure units including an 8 screen Odeon Cinema. There are also restaurants, bars and cafés.

The development also included 106 apartments.[7]

On 24 November 2013, a car bomb detonated outside a Victoria Square car park. There were no injuries.[8]

Belfast Great Victoria Street railway station is nearby.

  • Victoria Square, October 2009
    Victoria Square, October 2009
  • Information board, Victoria Square, October 2009
    Information board, Victoria Square, October 2009
  • Victoria Square, October 2009
    Victoria Square, October 2009
  • Viewing gallery, Victoria Square, October 2009
    Viewing gallery, Victoria Square, October 2009

References
  1. Welch, Adrian (29 March 2016). "Victoria Square Belfast Shopping Centre - Shops". e-architect. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  2. "About Us". Victoria Square. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  3. World Architecture. "Victoria Square Belfast : Building". E-architect.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  4. Corscadden, Jane (28 August 2021). "Old photos show site of Victoria Square before the shopping centre". BelfastLive. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  5. "Jaffe Memorial Fountain | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  6. Q Park. "Belfast Victoria Square". Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  7. Belfast Telegraph. "Victoria Square apartments sell out". Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  8. "Belfast: Explosion at Victoria Square Centre". Belfast, Northern Ireland. Sky News. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
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