The Peoples Palace |
03/01/19
The Trafford Centre is an iconic retail and leisure destination. My place of choice for some retail therapy – a must visit when I’m back in Manchester and have some Christmas money to spend. The striking extrovert architecture hosts a dome larger than St Pauls, columns adorned with gold leaf, real palm trees and the world’s largest chandelier - decor so grand it was dubbed 'The Peoples Palace'. As I was there yesterday, wandering the marble floors, I wondered why it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves – surely it is one of the great architectural statements of the 20th century?
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The Trafford Centre is Rococo/late Baroque in design, with eclectic elements of Art Deco and Egyptian Revival. It is decorated primarily in shades of white, pink and gold with ivory, jade and caramel coloured marble throughout. There is 45,000 square metres of marble and granite flooring and gold leaf adorns the building's columns. The marble floors and brass handrails are polished nightly to maintain the centre's opulent appearance. There are over 100 classical and Art Nouveau style figures. It’s home to the Orient - the largest food court in Europe. It’s design is based on an ocean liner (complete with swimming pool) visiting different areas of the world. The Orient’s ceiling was modelled to resemble the sky with the colour changing from pink at dawn, blues in the afternoon and reds and purples at dust. Look up at night and you’ll see stars begin to twinkle, followed by the 12 constellations and then the stars of the Milky Way. The large-scale murals of cherubs and angelic beings clinging to whispy clouds set against the bluest of skies would be more fitting in European cathedrals than a shopping centre. It is not restrained minimalism. It is flamboyant mannerism. Clearly here, like all retail environments, the setting, design and space of the building are carefully considered - nothing is left to chance and teams of marketing analysts dedicate substantial research into retail space and the customer experience. The unorthodox style of architecture was prompted by the wish to offer a unique shopping experience. Architects had to be convinced that a lavish design would not alienate shoppers. The planning process was one of the longest and most expensive in the history of the United Kingdom; concerns surrounded the effect on smaller surrounding retailers and potential traffic problems. The matter was decided by the House of Lords. Twelve years after the Trafford Centre was first conceptualised, it opened in 1998. Construction took 27 months at a cost of £600 million. As of 2017, the centre has a market value of £2.312 billion. |
Of course, my love of the Trafford Centre isn’t shared by all. I’ve heard people offended by the fake and out of place décor and out of place styles. A perfectly over-the-top example of what happens when bad taste, too much money, and the dullest of concepts (an out of town shopping centre) combine. “Faced with a large box surrounded by a car park, the Trafford Centre has been given a ridiculous external grandeur that is almost Vegas-like.” There is definitely a sense of the hyperreal about it. The juxtaposition of brash styles is quite unique, especially when combined with the 21st century products being consumed and standard shop fitting. Nowhere else are you just a few strides between an 18th century environment, an Art Deco 'Cruiseship' meets 'Oriental', 'Aztec' and 'New Orleans' façades. One moment you are eating a cheeseburger on the bow of an ocean-liner, the next visiting the Apple Store in a 18th century promenade; all of it though feels so 'normal'. But I actually can appreciate some reasoning and authenticity behind it. The style pays homage to the history of the area. The Orient reflects the centre's proximity to the Manchester Ship Canal. I think what some find a confusing mismatch of styles is the perfect example of the spirit of postmodernism – the borrowing and mixing artistic styles and media is what makes the Trafford Centre its personality. Details of these styles have been thoroughly researched and are surprisingly accurate. The palm trees on Peel Avenue are not only real, they are originally from California. The Trafford Centre is the ultimate postmodern temple to consumerism. It’s refreshingly different from the standard understated white box shopping centres. It’s unapologetically indulgent and has a real sense of place. Whatever your view on its style, you can’t deny it has an impact, no matter how many times you’ve visited. It can’t be ignored, such impactful design should surely be considered great? |
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08jclmf
http://artoffiction.blogspot.com/2015/08/manchester-post-modernism.html
https://intu.co.uk/traffordcentre/events/top-10-design-facts-about-intu-trafford-centre
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08jclmf
http://artoffiction.blogspot.com/2015/08/manchester-post-modernism.html
https://intu.co.uk/traffordcentre/events/top-10-design-facts-about-intu-trafford-centre