Westgate Centre Development

Scheme summary

• A major mixed-use development scheme of a 5.6 hectare site in the centre of Oxford
• Centred on the reconstruction and expansion of the Westgate Shopping Centre to deliver 176000m2 of retail and leisure floorspace with over 100 stores, 25 restaurants, leisure facilities, a rooftop terrace, and several new public spaces
• Delivery of standalone building housing 59 residential apartments

Successful design elements

• Rooftop terrace housing numerous restaurants and bars and stunning views across the spires of Oxford
• Multi-level interaction of spaces and corridors
• Street-level movement routes providing access through the centre at all hours
• Glass-covered open spaces and arcades
• Circular roof lights in the redeveloped North Arcade
• Redevelopment of Norfolk Street and Castle Street into bus-only routes through the city centre with generous layover and passenger space
• Incorporation of Oxfordshire County Library into the upper floors of the North Arcade

Lessons learnt

• Compromise and negotiation on sites of this significance and projects of this scale require a great deal of work and resource investment
• A scheme of this size demonstrated that a collaborative approach where all parties were signed up to shared design principles at an early stage in the process assisted in delivery of the scheme
• Footfall records have already exceeded expectations with a staggering nine million people coming to the Westgate in first six months