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Victoria Centre, Nottingham

Intu Victoria Centre
Nottingham - NG1 (Victoria Centre) - geograph.org.uk - 2997781.jpg
The clock tower of Victoria Centre
Location Nottingham City Centre, England
Opening date 1972
Management Intu Properties Plc
Owner Nottingham City Council
Intu Properties
No. of stores and services 120
No. of anchor tenants 4
Total retail floor area 91,140 m² (981,000 ft²)
No. of floors 2
Parking 2700
Public transit access Nottingham Victoria bus station
Website www.intu.co.uk/victoriacentre

Intu Victoria Centre, is a shopping centre in Nottingham, England, constructed between 1967 and 1972. The Victoria Centre has various fashion and high street stores as well as cafes, restaurants, a health and fitness centre and the Nottingham Victoria bus station. Over three million people live within a 45 minute drive of the centre.

The Victoria Centre stands on the site of the old Nottingham Victoria railway station, which was demolished in 1967. The clock tower and the former Victoria Station Hotel (now run by Hilton Hotels) are the only parts of the old station to survive. The shopping centre was built between 1967 and 1972 by Taylor Woodrow. Above the shopping centre rise the 26 floor, 256 feet (72m) high "Victoria Centre Flats", which run North to South along the length. There are 464 flats and 36,000 sq ft (3,300 m2) of offices.

In 1970, the kinetic sculptor Roland Emett was commissioned to design and build a 'water-powered' clock, known as The Aqua Horological Tintinnabulator. The clock was installed late 1972 and chimed on the hour and half-hour, playing 'Gigue en Rondeau II' (1724) from Rameau's (1683–1764), 'Pieces de Clavecin' Suite in E-minor. This musical animated sculpture was between Boots, Next and John Lewis (formerly Jessops) on the lower mall and was a popular meeting place. At some point, the clock was modified to chime and play the music every fifteen minutes. In February 2014 the clock was dismantled from the Main Square and underwent initial refurbishment by Engineer Pete Dexter and the Rowland Emett Society. It was re-assembled for exhibition in Millennium Point, Birmingham during the summer of 2014 before being dismantled again and stored until December 2014. The parts were then transported back to Nottingham where further refurbishment work was carried out by Pete Dexter and staff at intu Victoria Centre. It was re-assembled in its new location on the north end of the upper mall. Its stature, colour scheme and most of its original water features were restored. It was officially re-started on 17 June 2015 by Emma Jaggers (5), grand-daughter of Pete Dexter.


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