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Like the majority of others in Belfast I was very excited about the opening of Victoria Square (official site is still in the future tense) having watch it grow over the last 3 years or so. Disappointingly, but also as expected, I wasn’t able to make it to the opening at 10am Thursday morning, though I did take some time to view it at lunchtime and again at 5:30pm. My first impressions were that of excitement - yes even after venturing inside. Excited to see something as architecturally beautiful as this in Belfast.
The centre/square (is a ’square’ ever really square shape) has no doors at its access points, leaving it open 24/7 as a walk-through, this part I like, though hope that it remains safe if I ever do take the chance at 3am.
The shops are plentiful, with many, including an 8-screen cinema, still to open over the next few months. With a great number of top fashion brands, which I won’t be purchasing, though I’m sure a great many will, it is exciting (that word once again) to see the city with a new focal point which is so vastly superior to anything else and makes CastleCourt appear very outdated.
Of course only 2hrs after opening it was very busy, and I’m sure it will be for quite a while yet. I have heard it from a number of people; that they cannot, and doubt that very many people in Belfast will in fact be able to afford many of the £80 shirts and £3000 handbags which are on sale in this luxurious home of items previously seen only in movies, television and every other page of fashion magazines.
I agree with this, yes, though also believe that there is a market for this fashionable merchandise that money provides to those with it, whether I agree with the world of bling and fashion and such nonsensical and pointless things or not.
It is a boost for the economy as well as a chance to show the rest of the world that Belfast can be a place of culture and fashion and other things that make a place more ‘tourist-worthy beyond talk of the Troublings of it’s past, instead, looking forward to a bright future of all things bright and future -orthy.
“But what about the rest of the city centre?” they say, “Royal Avenue and other such previous hubs of shopping wonderment.” Well, yes, their popularity will take a sudden dip the minute any member of the general public steps foot in Victoria Square and its un-square-like form. From here on CastleCourt will appear box-like; a long rectangular box with a balcony. This is certainly not ideal in a world of curves, colours and textures beyond white.
Though I hear it too will be going through a considerable amount of upgrading, giving it further levels and more glass frontage, though who wants to bombard any city with so much retailage at once, especially one which is only now getting used to it and learning to catch up with everyone else.
With 800,000ft2, 98 shops, 106 apartments, panoramic views of the city within the centre dome, two levels of underground parking and an Apple store to come later in the year, Victoria Square is a great thing for Belfast, a city on the move, thinking ahead, thinking of its future and the future of its tourists, as well as its residents, and those who are looking forward to the Belfast in 10 years time when many of these proposed developments currently in the works, or with cranes which like to be climbed by drunken locals, may be completed.
I love this city. As I always say that as a youngster I wasn’t able to see anything beyond the road I grew up on and the older kids who weren’t so nice as I took that trip to the shop for milk or went to the park to play on the swings, but with age, maturity and a sense of what is really going on here I now love it, and even more so knowing of the plans which will make it even better. To look at at least.
For further photographs of Victoria Square have a look at my flickr set
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