Trafford Centre, United Kingdom

Located in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, England, the Trafford Centre is a sizable indoor shopping mall and entertainment complex. In terms of retail space, it is the third largest in the UK and inaugurated in 1998.
Originally built by the Peel Group, the Trafford Centre became the most expensive single property sale in British history when it was sold to Capital Shopping Centres, which would eventually become Intu, for £1.65 billion in 2011.One of the longest and most costly battles in UK planning history was to secure permission to develop the center.In 2011, the Trafford Centre boasted the busiest movie theatre in the UK and the biggest food court in Europe.

The main dome of the three-story edifice is surrounded by a number of separate spaces. Department stores (Marks and Spencer and John Lewis, respectively) at the far ends of Regent Crescent and Peel Avenue serve as the malls' anchors. The first Selfridges store outside of London is located in the Dome. The 20-screen Odeon Cinema and other leisure amenities are also situated in the Dome section on the second floor accessed by The Orient.The Orient is a two-story dining and entertainment complex with the biggest food court in Europe as well as other eateries, cafes, and recreational spaces. The Great Hall was added in 2007 to expand this space.Festival Village, a market-style hall at the end of Peel Avenue, was once part of the center. Around 50 smaller boutiques catering to more specialized retailers occupied this 35,000 square foot facility, which also included food, childcare, and kid-friendly entertainment options.In order to make way for the John Lewis department store, which opened in May 2005, this area was shuttered in late 2003.