Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre | |
 Midsummer Place |
|
| Facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Milton Keynes, United Kingdom |
| Opening date | September 25, 1979 |
| Developer | MKDC |
| Owner | Prudential, Hermes, and Legal & General |
| No. of stores and services | over 260 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,790,000 ft² (166,000 m²) [1] |
| Parking | over 17,000 spaces nearby |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Website | thecentre:mk Midsummer Place |
Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre is a regional shopping centre located in Milton Keynes, England which is about 50 miles (about 80 km) north-west of London. It is managed in two separate parts, thecentre:mk and Midsummer Place.
Contents |
[edit] Development
The Milton Keynes Development Corporation began work on the original "Shopping Building" in 1973 as the centrepiece of Central Milton Keynes. The architects were Derek Walker, Stuart Mosscrop, and Chris Woodward; and the engineers were Felix Samuely and Partners. The design followed the minimalist principles of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and envisaged glass-covered shopping streets or arcades on the scale of the Galleria in Milan. It formed a glass-and-steel envelope for 130 shops and six department stores, arranged down two parallel daylit streets, planted with tropical and temperate trees. The shopping area was opened on 25 September 1979 by Margaret Thatcher. It was described in 1993 as "still the best-looking if no longer the biggest shopping centre in the British Isles", despite the creation of several more similar complexes across Britain, including the Merry Hill Shopping Centre in the West Midlands.[2]
In 1993, the building was extended at the western end, over what was the City Square. With a length of 720 metres, it was said to contain the longest shopping mall in the world.[3]
Midsummer Place is effectively a southwards extension of the centre; it was designed by GMW Architects of London and opened in 2000. Part of Midsummer Boulevard had to be closed to allow this to be built.
[edit] Features
Whereas some large shopping centres have several levels, at Milton Keynes the public access to all the shops is from the ground floor. Some of the shops then have two or three floors inside. A service road for thecentre:mk runs above the shops; while the Midsummer Place shops are serviced from below, with car parking above them.
There is an open-air garden square (Queen's Court); there is a covered events area (Middleton Hall); and Midsummer Place was built around an existing oak tree that survives in an open area (Oak Court).
Outside the centre is an open-air market. Also, on the other side of Midsummer Boulevard, there is another building (the Food Centre) containing food shops.
[edit] Art
Within the centre there are several works of art.[4] Midsummer Arcade contains:
- a hanging kinetic sculpture (Circle of Light) by Liliane Lijn (1980)
- the Whitewall for exhibitions of contemporary art.
Queen's Court contains:
- a sundial and associated bollards (Bollards) by Tim Minett (1979)
- a bronze group of people (Vox Pop) by John Clinch (1988)
- three bronze figures (Dream Flight, Flying Carpet, High Flyer) by Philomena Davis (1989)
- a mosaic pavement from the Roman villa at Bancroft (circa AD 320).[5]
Oak Court contains:
- a stainless steel sculpture (Acorns and Leaves) by Tim Ward (2000)
- the Concrete Cows by Liz Leyh (1978) on temporary loan.[6]
The Midsummer Place building contains:
- a stained-glass window by Anne Smyth (2000)
- a bronze seat (Sitting on History) by Bill Woodrow (1996)
- an animated clock conceived by Kit Williams.
[edit] Future
The Milton Keynes Partnership and the centre owners have plans to expand thecentre:mk. Phase 1 of the redevelopment programme will include a new department store on the south side (for which the outdoor market will be moved southwards and Secklow Gate flyover will be closed), the colonnade on the west of Middleton Hall will be removed by expanding the shops into it, Crown Walk will be opened to allow pedestrian access through the centre after the shops close (shortening evening journeys on foot considerably), a restaurant quarter will open in a re-landscaped Queens Court, and an "enhanced" entrance will be created on the north side.[7] [8] Phase 2 may include expansion at the eastern end.
These plans are controversial because they would mean the loss of the unique minimalist appearance of the building. The closure of Secklow Gate will impede north-south vehicle movements. Additionally there are plans to erect dwellings in the area which runs the risk of hampering movement around and in and out of the centre as well as spoiling views of the shopping building.[9]
The Milton Keynes Council transport strategy calls for Midsummer Boulevard to be re-opened through the arch connecting Midsummer Place to thecentre:mk to facilitate a "public transport spine" bus route along the Boulevard, from the station to Campbell Park.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ thecentre:mk, Facts and Figures, combined gross leasable area of thecentre:mk and Midsummer Place.
- ^ N. Pevsner and E. Williamson, Buckinghamshire, 2nd edition, Penguin Books (Buildings of England), 1994, ISBN 0-14-071062-0, page 494.
- ^ The Guinness Book of Records 1997, Guinness Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-85112-693-6, page 165.
- ^ Milton Keynes Artwalks, City Centre map, click on numbers 3 and 19 to 26; Milton Keynes Contemporary, Whitewall; Midsummer Place, Art.
- ^ Heritage Tile Conservation Ltd, Bancroft Villa fourth-century Roman pavement.
- ^ MK News, Concrete cows go on shopping trip.
- ^ thecentre:mk, thecentre:mk of the future.
- ^ Milton Keynes Council, Report on Planning Application 07/00577/REM (PDF).
- ^ BBC News, Milton Keynes plans put on hold.
- ^ Milton Keynes Council, Provisional Local Transport Plan 2006-07 to 2010-11: Appendix A: Bus Strategy: Public Transport Long Term Vision.
[edit] External links
|
|||||
