Trafford
Shopping centres have become a bit of a curiosity for me recently. I finally got around to visiting Braehead with Andrea, an absolute disappointment if ever there was one. It feels so small and uninspired, I wasn’t exactly bothered that I’ve ignored it for so long. In the hope of making up for it we took a trip down to the Trafford Centre in Manchester today, which I believe is the second largest in the UK (after Gateshead), and I can proclaim it to be well worth a visit.
The Trafford Centre is particularly noteworthy because it’s unlike any shopping centre I’ve ever been in before. Rather than the normal white plastic and glass design that pervades these places, the first thing you’re greeted with here are palm trees set among giant faux-marble columns and tiled floors. There are a number of restaurants lined up along the sides of a fake indoor street, complete with washing hanging off balconies, street lights and pavements. And then there’s the food court, where is setup to look like they’ve chopped the end off a giant cruise ship and you’re eating on deck. I kid you not, you just stand there in amazement.
I don’t really have shopping in mind when I go to these places, in fact both of us came back from Manchester completely empty handed. I just find them fascinating, from the people watching perspective and from the business perspective. I’d love to design one, place the shops, deal with the business aspect of it. There’s been a Sim Mall, right?
