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Westfield London

Coordinates: 51°30′27″N 0°13′16″W / 51.50750°N 0.22111°W / 51.50750; -0.22111
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Not to be confused with Westfield College or Westfield Stratford City.

Westfield London
Westfield London logo
Map
LocationWhite City, London, England
Opening date30 October 2008; 16 years ago (2008-10-30)
OwnerUnibail-Rodamco-Westfield
ArchitectBenoy & Westfield Design Architects, Buchan Group Executive Architects, Ian Ritchie Architects (masterplan),[1] Leonard Design Architects.[2]
No. of stores and services301
No. of anchor tenants4
Total retail floor area2,600,000 sq ft (240,000 m2)
No. of floors5
Parking5,500 spaces
Public transit accessLondon Underground Shepherd's Bush; Shepherd's Bush Market; Wood Lane; White City
London Overground National Rail Shepherd's Bush
Websitewww.westfield.com/united-kingdom/london Edit this at Wikidata

Westfield London is a large shopping centre in White City, west London, England, developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn,[3][4] on a brownfield site formerly the home of the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition. The site is bounded by the West Cross Route (A3220), the Westway (A40) and Wood Lane (A219). It opened on 30 October 2008 and became the largest covered shopping development in the capital;[5] originally a retail floor area of 1,600,000 sq ft (150,000 m2),[6] further investment and expansion led to it becoming the largest shopping centre in the UK and Europe by March 2018, an area of 2,600,000 sq ft (240,000 m2).[7]

The mall is anchored by department stores John Lewis and Marks & Spencer, as well as multi brand retailer Next and large fast fashion brand Primark. Former anchor retailers include House of Fraser and Debenhams.

History

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Westfield London from Wood Lane, 2013

The development is on a large brownfield site, part of which was once the location of the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition. The initial site clearance demolished the set of halls still remaining from the exhibition (their cheap-to-build, white-painted blank facades are said to be the origin of the name White City). There were also considerable precautions needed during demolition due to the expectation of finding unexploded bombs from raids on a local munitions factory during the World War II blitz.

Elsewhere on the site was a London Underground railway depot, which had to be kept fully operational while a new depot was built underground to allow the new shopping centre to be built above both the new depot, and on the old depot site. The old depot was then demolished.[8]

The initial plan for a shopping centre at this location was developed by a consortium, the largest company involved being the UK division of Australian property company Multiplex. However, due to heavy financial losses in other ventures, including the construction of the new Wembley Stadium, Multiplex was forced to sell its stake to the Westfield Group.[9]

The development was built by Westfield Construction, the developer's own construction arm and was delivered on schedule.[10] Robert Bird Group were the structural engineers for the job.[11] The roof was designed by Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering (Stuttgart, Germany).[12] The project took five years to build, employing 8,000 people.[13] During the site development period, up to 3000 local people received pre-employment training through a partnership scheme aiming to ensure that a significant proportion of the centre's jobs were taken up by local residents. 40% of the centre's management staff had been locally recruited at the time when the centre opened.[14]

On the 7 July 2015, Mohammed Rehman and Sana Ahmed Khan planned to explode a bomb which consisted of 10 kg of urea nitrate inside the shopping centre. The attack was set to occur on the 10 year anniversary of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, but was thwarted by police.[15]

Opening

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The centre was opened to the public on 30 October 2008 by Frank Lowy, CEO of Westfield Group, in an event also attended by Mayor Boris Johnson, with a retail floor area of 1,600,000 sq ft (150,000 m2).[3][6] It became the largest covered shopping centre in London having overtaken the Whitgift Centre in Croydon.[6] Amid great hype, two million shoppers visited the centre in its first three weeks, despite the ongoing credit crunch in the UK.[16]

However the financial crisis of the time did cause a swift fall in shoppers and some shops forcing to close in 2009. While some commentators suspected Westfield London to fail during the economic gloom, the centre reported increased sales in 2010 following an unexpectedly large number of tourist shoppers.[17][18]

Extension

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On 16 February 2012, Hammersmith & Fulham Council approved a 700,000 sq ft extension to the north of the existing site. Building work began in 2014,[19] and the extension opened in three phases. The first phase opened in March 2018, and the final phase opened in October 2018. Once the extension was completed, Westfield London's size increased to 2.6 million square feet (240,000 m2), making it the largest shopping centre in Europe.[20]

The north side of the extension is bounded by a railway viaduct, and the south side of the extension is adjunct to the original shopping centre. The extension replaces an industrial estate which previously occupied the area, divided by Ariel Way. The extension includes 51,000 square metres (550,000 sq ft) of retail space including a 70,000 sq ft Primark store, offices, new streets, public spaces, and approximately 1,522 new homes. The development ranges from four to twelve storeys high with one building of 20 storeys.

The work also includes modifications to Shepherd's Bush railway station, relocation of the White City bus station and reuse of the Dimco Buildings, and pedestrian links on the east side of the site connecting Hammersmith & Fulham with Kensington & Chelsea.[21][22][23]

Westfield mall northwest entrance, 2022

The department store John Lewis is the occupant of an 'anchor store' within the extension. Kidzania, a part of the extension, opened in 2015.[24][25][26]

COVID-19

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On 28 April 2020 it was announced that Debenhams' Westfield London store had closed permanently due to the COVID-19 lockdown and entering administration.[27][28] On 28 July Hammersmith & Fulham Council's Planning Committee approved Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield's planning application on transforming two-thirds of House of Fraser's space into office spaces and two separate retail units that will face the inside of the centre.[29][30][31] The former Debenhams space was occupied by a Harrods Outlet for a time.[32][33] In 2023, It was confirmed that TK Maxx would be taking over much of the former Debenhams anchor unit space.[34]

Constituent sections

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Retail area

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Interior, 2009

It has a retail floor area of 2.6 million square feet (240,000 m2).[20] The centre features around 320 stores, including AllSaints, Apple, Bershka, Boots, Bose, Cotton On (includes RUBI and Factorie), Dwell, Early Learning Centre, Ernest Jones, Gerry Weber, Hackett, Hollister Co, House of Fraser, H.Samuel, Jaeger, Kurt Geiger, Lego, Mamas & Papas, Mango, Marks & Spencer, Next, Nomination, Oakley, Reiss, River Island, schuh, Starbucks Coffee, Tesla, Topshop, Uniqlo, the multiplex cinema Vue, Waitrose and Zara.

The development also includes a high-end retail area called The Village. The area includes brands Burberry, De Beers, Georg Jensen, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Mulberry, Myla, Tiffany & Co and Versace.

  • 'The Village', 2009
    'The Village', 2009
  • Food Court, 2009
    Food Court, 2009
  • Food Court, 2022
    Food Court, 2022
  • Main Atrium, 2014
    Main Atrium, 2014
  • Interior, 2009
    Interior, 2009
  • The Loft, 2009
    The Loft, 2009

Vue digital cinema

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Vue opened a seventeen-screen cinema on 12 February 2010,[35] including five 3-D-enabled screens, with a seating capacity of almost 3,000.

Transport connections

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As part of the planning permission for the shopping centre, Westfield Group contributed £170m towards local transport improvements, with Transport for London contributing a further £30m.[36] These transport improvements now serve the shopping centre, as well as the surrounding area.

Impact and criticism

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Before opening, the centre was expected to attract trade that otherwise might have gone to the already busy West End, as well as having a potentially negative impact on nearby Kensington High Street.[47] The development has also pushed up rents in the Shepherds Bush area, which is expected to impact on the value retail offer in the area, with many businesses as well as the Shepherds Bush Market expected to suffer.[48] Others have criticised the centre's "clone stores".[49]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Westfield London". Leonard Design Architects. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Westfield flagship opens in London" (Press release). Westfield Group press release. 30 October 2007. Archived from the original on 2 November 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  4. ^ "1st Quarter 2007 – Review" (PDF). Westfield Group. 8 May 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2008. In a later document published in 2008, the WDC cost was estimated at £1.1bn - see "Westfield Group, Half Year Results Presentation, 30 June 2008" (PDF). Westfield Group. 27 August 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  5. ^ Moore, Matthew (30 October 2008). "Westfield shopping centre - Europe's largest mall - opens". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  6. ^ a b c "Enormous shopping complex opens". BBC. 30 October 2008. Archived from the original on 2 November 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  7. ^ "Westfield London is now the largest shopping centre in Europe". The Independent. 20 March 2018. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  8. ^ "White City Central Line Sidings". Ian Ritchie Architects. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Bleak day as Multiplex sells 'trophy asset'". Archived from the original on 18 January 2016.
  10. ^ "Structural Systems". structuralsystems.com.au. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Robert Bird Group". Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2011. Robert Bird Westfield Description
  12. ^ "Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering". khing.de. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009.
  13. ^ HeraldSun.com.au - Westfield to open London mega centre Archived 1 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ All Party Urban Development Group, Building local jobs, p. 18, published in 2008, accessed on 25 December 2024
  15. ^ "London Underground or Westfield 'bomb plot was foiled'". BBC News. 17 November 2015.
  16. ^ [Wallop, Harry. "Thousands of shoppers defy credit crunch to visit Westfield shopping centre". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Can Westfield beat the crunch?". 13 April 2012.
  18. ^ "Westfield tourists the key as sales leap 17% amid gloom". 11 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Westfield planning application". LBHF. London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. 17 December 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  20. ^ a b Stevens, Ben (20 March 2018). "Westfield London opens £600m expansion 6 months early - Retail Gazette". Retail Gazette. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  21. ^ Westfield Shopping Centres. "Westfield Shopping Centres". westfieldlondondevelopment.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
  22. ^ "Westfield extension plans approved". London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. 17 February 2012. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  23. ^ Ruddick, Graham (26 August 2013). "John Lewis to open Westfield London store". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017.
  24. ^ Jonathan Prynn (16 July 2013). "KidZania: New £20m 'mini city' inside Westfield mall will let children 'work' for treats". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017.
  25. ^ "Shepherds Bush's Local Web site". shepherdsbushw12.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014.
  26. ^ KidZania. "What Is KidZania?". kidzania.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013.
  27. ^ Hills, Joel (8 April 2020). "Debenhams empties Westfield store as landlords fear mass store closures". ITV News. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  28. ^ "The Home Page". www.shepherdsbushw12.com. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  29. ^ Sheppard, Owen (27 July 2020). "The House of Fraser in Westfield White City will be turned into offices". MyLondon. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  30. ^ "Westfield's plans to turn House of Fraser site into office space approved". www.retailgazette.co.uk. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  31. ^ Butler, Sarah (18 June 2020). "Plans to turn House of Fraser in Westfield into co-working space". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  32. ^ "Harrods Outlet Westfield London". uk.westfield.com. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  33. ^ Manning, Danielle (26 June 2020). "All the rules you'll have to stick to when Harrods opens at Westfield". MyLondon. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  34. ^ Retail Gazette, 2023-03-17
  35. ^ "Vue Entertainment to Open Two World Class all Digital Multiplexes at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City". Westfield Group. 30 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 July 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  36. ^ "White City and Shepherd's Bush". Transport for London. September 2008. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  37. ^ "New Wood Lane Underground station opens". Transport for London. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  38. ^ "Modernisation complete as Shepherd's Bush Tube station re-opens". Transport for London. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  39. ^ "Shepherd's Bush Overground station welcomes passengers". Transport for London. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  40. ^ Barney, Katharine. "New railway station over budget...and undersized". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  41. ^ Transport for London. "White City Development". Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
  42. ^ a b "New White City bus station will cater for 10,000 passengers a day". Transport for London. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  43. ^ Historic England. "Dimco Buildings (1079757)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  44. ^ "New White City Bus Station Opens This Weekend". Build.co.uk. 27 November 2008. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  45. ^ The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit filming locations". Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
  46. ^ London Cycling Campaign (26 June 2008). "Westfield shopping centre is "a cyclist's nightmare"". Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  47. ^ "Westfield - London's retail showdown". Drapers. 29 October 2008.
  48. ^ Sonia Purnell (10 October 2006). "Bloom or bust for Shepherd's Bush?". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  49. ^ Harris, John (23 October 2008). "John Harris: How can Westfield - and the growing number of giant malls around the country - survive?". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
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