Victorian values
Published: 10 September, 2007
The Victoria Quarter in the heart of Leeds city centre is a unique shopping development, home to 75 national and international designer brands.
Built originally in 1900 by celebrated Victorian architect Frank Matcham, the centre was extensively refurbished in 1990 by Derek Latham and Associates. Their design covered over and pedestrianised Queen Victoria Street and County Arcade, and incorporated Britain's largest stained glass roof covering 2,450 sq ft.
The site now covers 2 acres with 250,000 sq ft of retail space between 75 units and an annual footfall of approximately 10 million. Access to the centre is via five entrances, two at either end of County Arcade and Queen Victoria Street, with another from the open-air King Edward Street side of the centre into Cross Arcade.
Over the last 10 years the Victoria Quarter has become synonymous with style and fashion beginning, arguably, in 1996 when Harvey Nichols chose the centre for its first store outside London. Since then many other top names have followed, most recently with Louis Vuitton opening in September and Agent Provocateur in November 2006. With other high-end brands such as Gieves & Hawkes, The White Company, Jo Malone, LK Bennett and Vivienne Westwood the centre has justifiably earned itself the prestigious tag of 'The Knightsbridge of the North'.
This spring, following a 12-month refurbishment of the King Edward Street units, several more high profile tenants moved into Victoria Quarter.
Celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke opened his second northern salon at the end of March. Designed by Tim Ryan and incorporating contemporary Deco-style details, it occupies 2,002 sq ft over three floors.
Speaking of his move to the Victoria Quarter Nicky Clarke says:"Leeds is a wonderfully diverse and cosmopolitan city, so it was a natural choice for us and the Victoria Quarter is a natural home for our salon. The eclectic mix of fashion, beauty and lifestyle, stunning architecture and internationally-known brands makes it a unique shopping destination and experience. This fits perfectly with our brand and reflects what Nicky Clarke Salons is all about - so I'm really excited about it!"
London shirt-maker Hawes & Curtis arrived over Easter, with their unit comprising 2,057 sq ft between ground floor and basement, and outdoor clothing specialists The North Face landed at the same time with a four-floor unit giving 3,971 sq ft.
The King Edward Street renaissance will be completed this autumn when British designer Paul Smith opens a stand-alone store over four floors occupying 4,035 sq ft.
Centre director John Bade, who has been at the Victoria Quarter for over 18 years, observes: "The mix of retailers has changed dramatically since I first arrived - and particularly so over the last 10 years. Harvey Nichols' opening was significant not only in helping to attract other leading brands to the Victoria Quarter, but it also put the centre firmly on the shopping map. There are 3 million people within 60 minutes of Leeds and the Victoria Quarter is now a destination for many of them.
"Obviously, we want to maintain that appeal, so the retailer dynamics are vital. The redevelopment of King Edward Street was an important part of the centre's overall strategy. The new shops create the perfect mix, add more high-profile names to our list and perfectly complement the existing King Edward stores."
The Victoria Quarter has also taken a civic initiative, introducing a smoking ban from February 1 and driving forward a recycling scheme.
Almost all units are now occupied, and with several very significant brands queuing up for options within the Victoria Quarter the future certainly looks set fair.
