Glittering secrets of new jewel in city's crown

The Victoria Square complex has been described as the most audacious development ever in Belfast City Centre. Claire McNeilly asks if what is under the glass dome will be worth the wait

Friday, February 29, 2008

And in just six days, when the wraps come off the new Victoria Square complex, the public will finally get to see what all the hype has been about.

Described as the most audacious city centre development ever - commanding 800,000 sq ft and costing a cool £400 million - can we fail to be impressed by this architecturally resplendent retail Mecca?

And what exactly is under the stunning glass dome, which has been dominating the Belfast skyline in the last few months?

Anchored by a flagship 200,000 sq ft House of Fraser department store, the entire shopping centre will welcome a plethora of retailers over four floors and under its eco-friendly roof.

A portfolio of designers such as Cruise (offering much-sought after brands like Jimmy Choo and D&G), Hugo Boss, Reiss and All Saints will bring a whole new dimension to fashion in Belfast.

Other top notch stores including The Pier (with its prestigious furniture and homewear range), Regis (hair salon) and Free Spirit (for beauty/nails/hair and holistic therapy) are sure to be a big hit, a particularly with female shoppers.

Watch the demolition that took place to make way for the Victoria Square complex

Urban Outfitters, Pumpkin Patch (kidswear) and Fossil will also be represented in the new centre, which is part of Belfast city's ever burgeoning retail kingdom.

Meanwhile, House of Fraser - which alone accounts for 20% of retail space - will showcase more than 500 brands, many of which are new to Ireland, namely White Light Therapy (beauty) and Hamleys (toy shop).

Other leading brands coming to Northern Ireland for the first time include Agent Provocateur, La Perla, Links of London and The White Company.

Among desirable beauty firsts for the province will be Creme de la Mer, Prescriptives, Calvin Klein Beauty and White Light Therapy, while Irish designers Helen McAlinden and Paul Costelloe will be also be stocked in-house.

Store manager Michelle Jackson said that House of Fraser is "very excited" about its new premises, as well as its foray into the market here.

"The store has been set up as the very pinnacle of what House of Fraser is about," she said.

" It's the biggest store we have ever built from scratch and opened, which is great for Northern Ireland."

Ms Jackson added that the new development - which houses 98 shops in total - will see established outlets effectively work alongside newcomers to attract a broad clientele.

"Between House of Fraser and Victoria Square, we are bringing a lot of exclusives to Northern Ireland," she said.

"Many of our potential customers go to Dublin, London or Glasgow to shop for the weekend and they will now no longer need to do that. It will be fantastic for Belfast."

Shopping facilities in Belfast will grow by almost a third when Victoria Square officially opens next Thursday.

But although the centre is already 92% let, according to its manager Hugh Black, not all retailers will be ready for business on Thursday.

Indeed, only around 40 shops are due to throw open their doors with, he said, " a rolling programme of retailers and restaurants from then onwards".

"Shops like Clockwork Orange, Hugo Boss and Goldsmiths open on Thursday for example, whereas Top Shop is scheduled to start trading in June," Mr Black said.

He added: "Then, in late June, we hope to open the Odeon cinema, as well as a number of food outlets."

The eight screen cinema, which will be housed on the fourth floor of the complex, is expected to be like the Odyssey, but without the bars or nightclubs, said Mr Black.

Among the cafes and restaurants will be well-known names such as Pizza Hut, O'Briens, Costa Coffee, Chilli's Bar & Grill, Maggianos Little Italy, Spur Steak Ranch, McDonalds and Nando's.

Experts predict that a staggering 17.2 million people will visit Victoria Square per year - placing it in the top 10 shopping centres in the UK.

"We've got a good, broad cross section of retailers coming to the scheme, both high end and mainstream, and that's our target market," Mr Black added.

"The retail economy is tough out there but we're going to bring a world class shopping centre to Belfast and establish the city as a major retail destination in the UK and Europe."

For further information, please visit www.victoriasquare.com

Countdown for a fanfare face-changing opening

It has been four years in the making, but in just six days, when Victoria Square finally opens, the face of downtown Belfast will change irrevocably.

Members of the public will be officially allowed into the £400m centre at 9.30am next Thursday, with a special entertainment show being screened at 10am.

Topping the bill will be the Ulster Orchestra, who kick off the celebration with a rendition of Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man.

Hot on their heels come the international drummers of Slam! a hard-hitting group that is just fresh from TV, radio and concert tours.

The drama will continue to unfold with the acclaimed Cirque de Soleil performers.

Injecting an ethereal elegance never before seen in such a setting, world famous duo Boldo and Gema will perform their nail-biting double straps aerial act suspended from the iconic dome.

And, to finish off this pulsating masterpiece, the global phenomenon Tap Dogs has come to town.

Direct from Australia, this group has had a whirlwind 10 years taking in a worldwide audience of 3.4 billion people when they performed at the Olympics, Broadway and West End seasons, Olivier awards and US TV specials.

Shoppers will then get their chance to splash the cash when the doors to the centre's stores are flung open at 10.30am.

Visitors can shop till they drop while enjoying the entertainment which is scheduled to continue throughout the day until 9pm.

From next Thursday onwards, Victoria Square will be offering late-night shopping from 9am until 9pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

The shopping centre will remain open until 7pm on Mondays and Tuesdays and until 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Getting there

Shoppers can access Victoria Square on foot, by public transport, or by car.

On foot: Victoria Square is a short walk from Central Station, Laganside Bus Station and the Europa Bus Station. It can be accessed via Cornmarket (William Street South via Arthur square), Ann Street, Victoria Street and main entrance of House of Fraser.

By bus: Translink plans to install a bus stop on Chichester Street, outside the development.

Metro will also run a promotional campaign offering free bus travel for employees working in Victoria Square for one week after the opening to encourage bus use.

By car: A new multi-storey car park - called Q-Park - will provide 1,000 parking spaces on two levels at Victoria Square. It can be accessed from Victoria Street.