Westfield London
Encyclopedia
Westfield London is a shopping centre in White City
in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
. The centre was developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn,
on a site bounded by the West Cross Route
(A3220
), the Westway
(A40
) and Wood Lane
(A219
), and opened on 30 October 2008.
The site is part of the White City
district, where several other large scale development projects are under way or in the planning stages. 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 said to be the origin of the name "White City"). Much of the site was in use by a railway depot excavated to a lower level and built over.
The centre is noted for its size: with a retail floor area of 150,000m² (1.615m ft²), the equivalent of about 30 football pitches. At the time of its opening it was reported to be the third largest shopping centre in the United Kingdom.
The nearest London Underground stations are Wood Lane
, White City
, Shepherd's Bush and Shepherd's Bush Market.
The nearest London Overground station
is Shepherd's Bush
. This station is also served by longer distance Southern
services between and East Croydon
.
, Multiplex UK was forced to sell its stake to another Australian company (and competitor), Westfield Group.
The development was built by Westfield Construction, the developer's own construction arm and was delivered on schedule. Robert Bird Group
were the structural engineers for the job. The final iconic roof was designed by Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering (Stuttgart, Germany). The project took five years to build, employing 8000 people. The Project Director was John Roberts.
There was a structural/organisational challenge relating to the White City depot of the Central Line
(Underground
) railway. It covered a large proportion of the site, and had to be kept fully operational while being excavated beneath and relocated bit by bit at a lower level to allow the centre to make use of its previous location.
There were also considerable precautions needed due to the expectation of finding unexploded bombs from raids on a local munitions factory during the World War II
blitz
.
, Boots
, Bose, Build-A-Bear Workshop
, Coast, Debenhams
, Dorothy Perkins
, Dwell
, Early Learning Centre
, Ernest Jones, French Connection
, Geox
, Gerry Weber, Habitat
, Hackett, HMV
, Hollister Co.
, House of Fraser
, H.Samuel
, Jaeger, Kurt Geiger, LEGO
, Mamas & Papas
, Mango
, Marks & Spencer
, Mulberry
, Next
, Nomination, Reiss
, River Island
, Topshop
, Uniqlo
, the multiplex cinema Vue
, Waitrose
and Zara
.
The development also includes a high-end retail area called The Village. The area includes upmarket brands like Burberry
, De Beers
, Dior
, Gucci
, Louis Vuitton
, Miu Miu
, Mulberry
, Tiffany & Co and Versace
.
opened a fourteen-screen cinema on Friday 12 February 2010, including five 3-D
-enabled screens, with a seating capacity of almost 3,000.
. 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. Others have criticised the centre's "clone stores".
White City
-Australia:* White City Woodville, a football club from the South Australian Super League* White City Football Club, a football club from the NSW Conference League South...
in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
. The centre was developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn,
on a site bounded by the West Cross Route
West Cross Route
The West Cross Route is a short, dual carriageway section of the A3220 route in central London in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with a small part being shared with borderlining borough Hammersmith and Fulham. It runs north-south between the northern elevated roundabout junction...
(A3220
A3220 road
The A3220 is a primary A road in London. It runs north from Clapham Common to the A40 Westway at Ladbroke Grove.The road crosses the River Thames at Battersea Bridge and from this point until its end it forms the western boundary of the London Congestion Charge zone...
), the Westway
Westway (London)
The Westway is a long elevated dual carriageway section of the A40 route in west London running from Paddington to North Kensington. The road was constructed between 1964 and 1970 to relieve congestion at Shepherd's Bush caused by traffic from Western Avenue struggling to enter central London on...
(A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
) and Wood Lane
Wood Lane
Wood Lane is a street in London. It runs north from Shepherd's Bush, under the Westway past Wormwood Scrubs where it meets Scrubs Lane. The road is wholly in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham...
(A219
A219 road
The A219, is a road in West London, England, which connects the A404 Harrow Road in Harlesden to the A24 in South Wimbledon. Running from North to South, it starts near Willesden Junction station, crosses the Grand Union Canal and runs through Shepherd's Bush, Hammersmith and Fulham, crossing the...
), and opened on 30 October 2008.
The site is part of the White City
White City, London
White City is a district in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, to the north of Shepherd's Bush. Today, White City is home to the BBC Television Centre and BBC White City, and Loftus Road stadium, the home of football club Queens Park Rangers FC....
district, where several other large scale development projects are under way or in the planning stages. The development is on a large brownfield
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
site part of which was once the location of the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition
Franco-British Exhibition (1908)
The Franco-British Exhibition was a large public fair held in London in the early years of the 20th Century. The exhibition attracted 8 million visitors and celebrated the Entente Cordiale signed in 1904 by the United Kingdom and France....
; the initial site clearance demolished the set of halls still remaining from the exhibition (their cheap-to-build white-painted blank facades said to be the origin of the name "White City"). Much of the site was in use by a railway depot excavated to a lower level and built over.
The centre is noted for its size: with a retail floor area of 150,000m² (1.615m ft²), the equivalent of about 30 football pitches. At the time of its opening it was reported to be the third largest shopping centre in the United Kingdom.
The nearest London Underground stations are Wood Lane
Wood Lane tube station
Wood Lane is a London Underground station, located in the White City area of west London, England, UK. It is on the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines, between Latimer Road and Shepherd's Bush Market stations. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 2....
, White City
White City tube station
White City tube station is a London Underground station situated on Wood Lane in White City in west London. The station is on the Central Line, between Shepherds Bush and East Acton stations, in Travelcard Zone 2.-History:...
, Shepherd's Bush and Shepherd's Bush Market.
The nearest London Overground station
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
is Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush railway station
Shepherd's Bush station is a railway station located in the district of Shepherd's Bush in west London, England, UK. It opened in 2008 on the West London Line and is served by London Overground and Southern rail services...
. This station is also served by longer distance Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
services between and East Croydon
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
.
Construction
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 Group. However due to heavy financial lossses in other ventures, including the construction of the new Wembley StadiumWembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, Multiplex UK was forced to sell its stake to another Australian company (and competitor), Westfield Group.
The development was built by Westfield Construction, the developer's own construction arm and was delivered on schedule. Robert Bird Group
Robert Bird Group
Robert Bird Group is an Australian-owned structural, civil and specialist engineering consultancy with offices in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates...
were the structural engineers for the job. The final iconic roof was designed by Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering (Stuttgart, Germany). The project took five years to build, employing 8000 people. The Project Director was John Roberts.
There was a structural/organisational challenge relating to the White City depot of the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
(Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
) railway. It covered a large proportion of the site, and had to be kept fully operational while being excavated beneath and relocated bit by bit at a lower level to allow the centre to make use of its previous location.
There were also considerable precautions needed due to the expectation of finding unexploded bombs from raids on a local munitions factory during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
.
Retail area
The centre opened to the public on 30 October 2008 and has a retail floor area of 150,000m² (1.615m ft²). The completed centre features around 255 stores, including All Saints, Apple, BershkaBershka
Bershka is a company belonging to the Spanish Inditex group , that was created in April 1998 as a new store and fashion concept, aimed at a young target market. It now has 734 stores in 49 countries....
, Boots
Alliance Boots
Alliance Boots GmbH is a leading international, pharmacy-led health and beauty group. It has two core business activities - pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing, and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution - and has a presence in more than 25 countries...
, Bose, Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop is an American retailer headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri that sells teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Customers go through an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of their choice is assembled and customized during their visit to the store, and is the...
, Coast, Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
, Dorothy Perkins
Dorothy Perkins
Dorothy Perkins, whose trading name was inspired by a rambler rose of the same name, is a large British women's clothing retailer, active mostly in the United Kingdom.- History :...
, Dwell
Dwell (Retailer)
Dwell is a retailer of furniture in the United Kingdom. It has 25 retail outlets across the UK, with several in London including Westfield.-Origins:...
, Early Learning Centre
Early Learning Centre
The Early Learning Centre is a British chain of shops selling toys for very young children.-History:Originally set up as a mail order company in 1974 and was always based near Swindon; by 1980 it had ten shops; and it has grown to include 215 shops in the UK and over 80 in 19 other countries such...
, Ernest Jones, French Connection
French Connection (clothing)
French Connection is a retailer and wholesaler of fashion clothing and accessories. Founded in 1972 by Stephen Marks it is based in London, is listed on the London Stock Exchange and operates globally....
, Geox
Geox
Geox is an Italian brand of shoe and apparel manufactured utilising waterproof/breathable fabrics.-Corporate history:The company was founded in 1995 by Mario Moretti Polegato. The brand name, Geox, was created from a mixture between the Greek word “geo” , and “x”, a letter-element symbolizing...
, Gerry Weber, Habitat
Habitat (retailer)
Habitat Retail Ltd. is a retailer of household furnishings in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and has franchised outlets in other countries. Founded in 1964 by Terence Conran, it was sold by the IKANO Group, owned by the Kamprad family, in December 2009 to Hilco, a restructuring...
, Hackett, HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
, Hollister Co.
Hollister Co.
Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo., is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14–18 through its SoCal-inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store...
, House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
, H.Samuel
H. Samuel
H. Samuel is a mass-market jewellery chain, operating in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is the number one middle mass-market jewellery store in the United Kingdom. There are 375 stores as at 23rd Feb 2008. An increasing number of the chain's stores trade in a new format known...
, Jaeger, Kurt Geiger, LEGO
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
, Mamas & Papas
Mamas & Papas
Mamas & Papas is a UK-based retailer and manufacturer supplying prams, pushchairs, baby products, furniture and maternity wear. It was established in Huddersfield in 1981 by Italian entrepreneurs David and Luisa Scacchetti and has grown as a family business to become one of the UK’s top nursery...
, Mango
Mango (clothing)
Mango, stylized MANGO, is a clothing design and manufacturing company. Isak Andic is the president.Its goal is "to be present in every city" in the world...
, Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
, Mulberry
Mulberry (company)
Mulberry is a British fashion company known for its luxury leather goods.-Background:The company was founded in 1971 by Roger Saul and his mother Joan—in 1973 they opened a factory in Chilcompton, Somerset, England. Mulberry established itself as a British lifestyle brand, noted for its leather...
, Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
, Nomination, Reiss
Reiss (brand)
Reiss is a UK-based fashion brand owned and run by founder, David Reiss. The brand produces men's and women's clothing. It has 65 stores, located primarily in the UK, but with stores in the USA, Ireland, UAE, China and Malaysia. One store is located in Multrees Walk in Edinburgh, another in Marina...
, River Island
River Island
River Island is one of Britain's best known high street fashion brands and can be found in most cities across the UK. The brand also has stores in Singapore, Turkey, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Middle East.-History:...
, Topshop
Topshop
Topshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
, Uniqlo
UNIQLO
is a Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer.The company was originally a division of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.. On November 1, 2005, it was restructured as a separate wholly owned subsidiary called Uniqlo Co., Ltd. , which is listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock...
, the multiplex cinema Vue
Vue (cinema)
Vue Entertainment , formerly known as SBC International Cinemas, is a cinema company in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The company was formed in May 2003 when SBC acquired 36 Warner Village cinemas. There are now 69 Vue cinemas, with 654 screens totaling 140,500 seats, including the rebranded...
, Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
and Zara
Zara (clothing)
Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Arteixo, Galicia, and founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera. It is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group; the fashion group also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqüe, Stradivarius and...
.
The development also includes a high-end retail area called The Village. The area includes upmarket brands like Burberry
Burberry
Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing, fragrance, and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. Burberry is most famous for its iconic trench coat, which was invented by founder Thomas Burberry...
, De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
, Dior
Dior
Dior can mean:* Christian Dior SA, a French clothing retailer* In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium:**Dior Eluchíl, a Half-elven of the First Age**Dior , a Steward of GondorDior is a surname, and may refer to:...
, Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
, Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
, Miu Miu
Miu Miu
Miu Miu is a high fashion brand from the Prada fashion house, opened in 1993 and headed by Miuccia Prada. The name of the collection is taken from Miuccia Prada’s nickname.-Stores:...
, Mulberry
Mulberry (company)
Mulberry is a British fashion company known for its luxury leather goods.-Background:The company was founded in 1971 by Roger Saul and his mother Joan—in 1973 they opened a factory in Chilcompton, Somerset, England. Mulberry established itself as a British lifestyle brand, noted for its leather...
, Tiffany & Co and Versace
Versace
Gianni Versace S.p.A. , usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978.The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses...
.
Vue digital cinema
VueVue (cinema)
Vue Entertainment , formerly known as SBC International Cinemas, is a cinema company in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The company was formed in May 2003 when SBC acquired 36 Warner Village cinemas. There are now 69 Vue cinemas, with 654 screens totaling 140,500 seats, including the rebranded...
opened a fourteen-screen cinema on Friday 12 February 2010, including five 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
-enabled screens, with a seating capacity of almost 3,000.
Transport connections
The Westfield centre opening coincided with the completion of several major London transport infrastructure projects which now serve the centre and the surrounding area:- London UndergroundLondon UndergroundThe London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
: two Underground stations serve the centre - Wood Lane stationWood Lane tube stationWood Lane is a London Underground station, located in the White City area of west London, England, UK. It is on the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines, between Latimer Road and Shepherd's Bush Market stations. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 2....
(Circle and Hammersmith & City lineHammersmith & City LineThe Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
s) on the western side and the rebuilt Shepherd's Bush station (Central LineCentral LineThe Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
). There are also two other stations close by; White City and Shepherd's Bush Market.
- London OvergroundLondon OvergroundLondon Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
/SouthernSouthern (train operating company)Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
: Shepherd's Bush railway stationShepherd's Bush railway stationShepherd's Bush station is a railway station located in the district of Shepherd's Bush in west London, England, UK. It opened in 2008 on the West London Line and is served by London Overground and Southern rail services...
is a new station which has been constructed on the West London LineWest London LineThe West London Line is a short railway in inner West London which links lines at in the south to lines near Willesden Junction in the north. It has always been an important cross-London link especially for freight services...
and opened on 28 September 2008. It is located on the southern side of the development, immediately next to the Central Line tube station.
The opening of the station was delayed by several months when the finished platform was found to be 18 inches narrower than the required width.
- Bus and taxi: the Shepherd's Bush Interchange is located to the south of the centre next to the Overground station and includes a bus station and a taxi rank.
Close to Wood Lane tube station is the White City Interchange on Ariel Way; the bus station here is housed in the redeveloped Dimco BuildingsDimco BuildingsThe Dimco buildings are a historic structure in White City, London, just north of Shepherd's Bush. Originally built in 1898, they were constructed as a shed for the Central Line London Underground power station.Today the Dimco Buildings house a bus station...
(1898), Grade II listed red brick buildings which were originally built in 1898 as a shed for a London Underground power station. The Dimco buildings were used as a filming location for the ‘Acme Factory’ in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger RabbitWho Framed Roger RabbitWho Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
? - Cycle routes: the development includes some new cycle routes, but advocates consider them woefully inadequate
- Road links: a grade-separated junction connects to the West Cross RouteWest Cross RouteThe West Cross Route is a short, dual carriageway section of the A3220 route in central London in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with a small part being shared with borderlining borough Hammersmith and Fulham. It runs north-south between the northern elevated roundabout junction...
(A3220) which runs alongside the development site.
Criticism
The arrival of such a substantial new development however has not been without criticism. The full impact Westfield London will have is not yet understood but it is anticipated that the centre will attract trade which otherwise might have gone to the West End and may have a strong negative impact on nearby Kensington High StreetKensington High Street
Kensington High Street is the main shopping street in Kensington, west London. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
. 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. Others have criticised the centre's "clone stores".
See also
- List of shopping centres in the United Kingdom
- Westfield Stratford City - another similar development in London
External links
- Westfield London Official Website
- White City Development leaflet (Transport for London, August 2007)
- "New White City travel connections" (Transport for London, September 2008)
- White City & Shepherd's Bush description and map of transport developments