The Malls (Basingstoke)

 store / shop, shopping mall

The Malls Shopping Centre sits adjacent to the brand new Festival Place shopping district. It was built in the 1980's and is now being regenerated and brought into the 21st century, as an iconic gateway to basingstoke from the railway station. The exciting plans will see the outdated shopping centre given a major facelift. The main entrance from the railway station (Alencon Entrance) will become a landmark gateway featuring a large modern archway. Inside the existing concrete canopies will be removed and a clear roof canopy that protects the centre from bad weather, but still allows natural light and air to circulate will be installed.

Back in the 1960's the town was expanded and almost completely rebuilt to provide infrastructure and housing for the London overspill, the Basingstoke Centre was constructed on a large platform that spanned from Winchester Road (now know as old town) to Churchill Way, and later to the railway station. It was constructed in 3 phases and designed to look like one large shopping centre. The first phase along with the enormous multi-storey car park that dominated the landscape was completed in the 1970's. The second phase was completed in the early 1980's. Phase 3 was scrapped and later became the Anvil theatre. The shopping centre was known simply as the Basingstoke Centre, although the two phases where owned by separate companies. In the late 1980's phase one gained a roof and re-branded as the walks shopping centre. The second phase became the Malls. The walks shopping centre was modified again in the 1990's gaining doors to make it fully inclosed. And in 2002 Festival place opened, sweeping away most of the 1970's shopping centre. Since it's construction the Malls hasn't had any investment and has slowly deteriorated, losing many of the it's former big name stores. In 2008 (as part of the plans to revive the Malls) Primark opened it's doors, occupying The Malls' largest shopping space left empty for years when the Alders department store closed.