Shopping for Science, Technology & Engineering in The Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre
Trafford Park is a monument to technological and scientific progress. Not only does it boast a history of industrial and economic expansion and textile production but it also vaunts recent developments, such as Asda Superstore, the largest B&Q warehouse in Europe, David Loydd Sports Centre, JJB Soccer Dome, and numerous warehouses, including Argos Direct and Kellogg??s. It homes one of the largest shopping complexes in the world: The Trafford Centre.
Did you know?
Since its opening in September 1998, The Trafford Centre has welcomed approximately 27 million shoppers and tourists annually, that is 519 000 people every week!
The Trafford Centre consists of 100 067 square metres of retail space and 29 954 square metres of space dedicated to entertainment and catering. Evidently, the Trafford Centre is not just a celebration of retail and leisure but also of science, technology and engineering.
As you walk across the marbled floor looking at the elaborate glass domes and opulent staircases, it is hard to believe that before the mid 18oos, Trafford Park was 300 acres of farmland that belonged to the De Trafford family. With the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894, which allowed for the transportation and exportation of food, raw materials and manufacturing goods, the area became the largest industrial estate in the world.
In 1922, the Manchester Ship Canal Company bought Trafford Park and the adjoining Barton Dock Estate where the engineering and textile manufacturing industry flourished, thus generating a considerable amount of wealth for Manchester. Throughout the early 1900s, the Lancashire Cotton industry produced 65% of the worldly textile output. However, Manchester??s textile industry experienced ??snags.?? The industrial site sustained heavy bombing on 11th March 1941 and the ??fabric?? of the Manchester textile industry seemed to ??fray.?? As the manufacturing industry declined, the Manchester textile industry began to ??unravel?? and many of the machines became dormant and acres of land lay unused. Trafford Park became an ageing reminder of a by-gone era.
It was not until 1995 that the proposals for a large shopping centre to be built in Trafford Park were approved. Peel Holdings Plc in conjunction with Bovis Lend Lease North started the construction of the Trafford Centre. The building of the Trafford Centre marked an economic and commercial renaissance for Trafford Park.
Did you know?
The Trafford Centre took over two years to build and cost ??880 million to build using 19 500 tonnes of steel, 2 million bricks, 1 100 tonnes of concrete reinforcing, 21 356 square metres of granite flooring, 10 136km of electrical wiring, and a 35-megawatt electricity supply (equivalent to a small town)! The Trafford Centre is designed to last for over 150 years!
The Trafford Centre itself is a machine, connected to a network of transportation facilities, such as railways, buses, the Metrolink, coaches and motorway systems and extensive car parking.
Did you know?
The Trafford Centre does its part to help the environment: 12 tonnes of cardboard, 0.5 tonnes of plastic, and thousands of glass bottles are recycled each week!
The Trafford Centre would not be the marvel it is today without the ingenuity of scientists and engineers. The 310 CCTV cameras in operation for security and safety, and the star-covered ceiling of The Orient Foodcourt which features over 2000 light bulbs would not operate and be maintained without trained electricians. What once was farmland, is the height of industrial, commercial, retail and leisure production.
Submitted by: Shelley Deasey, SETPOINT Greater Manchester, 15 August 2005
