Shoppers in their Element at Opening of New Retail Destination in Livingston

Date: 16 Oct 2008

The development of Elements Square has helped create over 1500 new employment opportunities for the area and brings department store shopping to West Lothian for the first time with the arrival of anchor stores M&S and Debenhams.

 

From today, Elements Square and the adjoining Almondvale Shopping Centre will be known by the new name ‘The Centre’, forming one of the biggest shopping centres in Scotland with a total retail space nearing 1million sq ft, with 155 shops, leisure space and an extensive catering offer.

 

Alison Niven, Centre Director for Livingston, said: “I'm delighted to finally open the doors today and bring a completely new shopping and dining experience to the town.

 

“It has been a number of years in the making, everyone from the construction team through to leasing and marketing personnel have worked incredibly hard to bring the concept to life, and it's fantastic to see their dedication rewarded with the creation of such a unique and impressive retail destination.

 

“However, nothing can give a better seal of approval than comments received directly from the public and I'm overwhelmed by the positive feedback already received. I look forward to shoppers enjoying even more of what The Centre has to offer in the coming weeks.”

 

David Smith, Leasing Director for Land Securities, added: “We are extremely proud of the new retail and catering offering which we have brought to West Lothian. With two great anchor stores, a variety of top high street fashion names, and a great selection of international brands, it’s no wonder that today has been so eagerly anticipated by shoppers.”

 

M&S, Debenhams, River Island, Jane Norman, Republic, Swarovski and H&M as well as eateries ASK and Chiquito are amongst the names that have opened today, with further stores including Topshop, Topman, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Ortak and restaurant Tony Roma's opening in the coming months.

 

Elements Square, a 375,000 sq ft extension, was built with the modern day shopper in mind and features double height glass shop fronts, terracotta and zinc walls and granite flooring - materials traditionally used in outdoor developments - to help give the feeling of shopping on the high street indoors, enabling customers to meet, relax and eat, whatever the weather.

 

To further enhance the outdoor/indoor feel, the roof has been specially designed using ETFE (plastic ‘air-cushions’ as used in The Eden Project), to ensure daylight floods into the mall. In the evening, lights are also embedded in the roof to give the impression of shopping under starlight.

 

The Wintergarden, which overlooks the retail offer and is one of the catering areas at the new centre, boasts 1,000 plants and trees which provide a pleasant and relaxing environment for those looking to take a break from shopping.

 

The new Elements Square includes Almondvale Avenue, the home to the town's five new restaurants which allows town centre shoppers to enjoy, for the first time, dining out late into the evening.

 

A number of performances and events are taking place from today (Thursday 16th October) through to Sunday 19th October to celebrate the launch of Elements Square at The Centre. Activities include music, dance performances, personal fashion stylists as well as family entertainment.

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