St. Nicholas Centre Refresh

Client:
The Scottish Retail Property Limited Partnership

Location:
Aberdeen

Budget:
£1.5M

Status:
Tender

The Bon Accord and St Nicholas Centres create a covered pedestrian link between Union Street and George Street, combined they create the main retail destination within Aberdeen city.

Although branded together the refresh scheme aims to place the St Nicholas Centre as the younger, cooler brother of the Bon Accord Centre.

The concept for the refresh scheme is taken from geological formations and the use of light to create a space that is inviting, fresh and contemporary; encouraging shoppers to increase their dwell time within the centre.

Customers will be enticed into the centre from Union Street via a crisp clean back lit white box with 'st nicholas' simply applied in a sophisticated and understated manner in a black font. The entrance with increased glazing height and frameless doors will ease the transition from the external environment to internal space. The theme of light will continue internally with a double ribbon of light which flows down the length of the mall eventually terminating at an external white light box at the Schoolhill entrance. The ribbon of light will be punctuated with accent lighting which will rise at the centre of the mall to express the increased ceiling height. Either side, a new white open grid ceiling will give a crisp uniform but textured image. The raised area will provide an opportunity for the placement LED screens and the creation of the main dwell space.

The 'ribbon of light' and 'light boxes' are conceived as highly crafted pure elements within the design linking all aspects of design both externally and internally in a holistic approach. These elements will be crafted to give a cool, understated minimalist chic.

The flooring will be created using various textures and sizes of sand colour ceramic tiles which move away from the rigorous geometric patterns that dominate many shopping centres. The centre will be punctuated by geological inspired extrusions of pilasters and seating/ dwell areas along the mall. These elements will be clad in thin strips of ceramic tile that give the impression of the build up of geological layers. The pilasters will be lit with accent lighting to add atmosphere and emphasis these features.

Simple clean lines with a restricted palette of materials and contemporary detailing will be used throughout the refresh designs to give the customer a sense of design quality throughout the centre and creating a calm and relaxed retail experience.