The three storey building consists of several distinct areas radiating from the main dome. Regent Crescent and Peel Avenue are the two shopping malls which are both anchored by department stores (
Marks and Spencer and
John Lewis respectively) at the far ends. The Dome is home to the first
Selfridges outside of London. The 20-screen
Odeon Cinema and other leisure facilities are also situated in the Dome area on the second floor accessed via The Orient. The Orient is the leisure and dining area spread over two floors containing the largest food court in Europe and many other restaurants, cafes and leisure facilities. This area was extended in 2007 with the addition of The Great Hall. The centre originally contained a market style hall at the end of Peel Avenue known as Festival Village. This space was home to around 50 smaller stores dedicated to more specialist retailers, along with dining,
creche and children's entertainment facilities. This area was closed in late 2003 for conversion into the John Lewis department store, which opened in May 2005. Inspired by English
stately homes,
Vatican City and
The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas,
John Whittaker chose a lavish unorthodox neo-classical inspired style seeking to avoid the centre rapidly appearing dated and stale, a problem many shopping centres were susceptible to. Although the extravagant
Rococo and
Baroque design may be viewed as gaudy, he argued the prospect of the shopping centre rapidly ageing was mitigated and long-term less renovation work would be required. Design work was shared between the architectural practices of
Chapman Taylor and Manchester-based Leach Rhodes Walker. Chapman Taylor developed the conceptual design and general look and feel while Leach Rhodes Walker were responsible for the detailed technical design and coordination. The
main contractor was
Bovis, with
structural and
mechanical & electrical engineering services provided by
WSP Group. The landscaping design was by the Derek Lovejoy Partnership. Due to the projects scale and complexity the architects produced over 3,000
drawings and
specifications and 24 architects were required to work on the project full time during the construction process. The building was designed with adaptability in mind meaning that most of the retail units are able to accommodate a
mezzanine floor allowing retailers to increase their floorspace within the same unit. An additional floor at second floor level can also be accommodated above the two major department store units if the need arises. in architectural style and is clad primarily in
brick and
reconstituted stone.
Glass reinforced plastic cladding is used at the upper levels in some areas. Influences of many historical styles can be seen on the exterior with
Neoclassical and
Egyptian Revival being especially prominent.
Decor The interior of the Trafford Centre is decorated with an eclectic selection of
classically inspired elements with each area having its own distinct character rich in colour and detail. Each area having a distinct design is intended to help visitors to orient themselves around the centre. The flooring consists of of granite and marble from
Montignoso and
Quarrata in Italy. Neoclassical style columns are painted to resemble marble and adorned with
gold leaf. The
Red Rose of Lancaster is used as a decorative motif paying homage to the local area and
North West England.
Manchester architecture critic John Parkinson-Bailey described the Trafford Centre as a building which "will not appeal to purists" and the range of interior architecture as "bewildering". A
time capsule containing a variety of artefacts including drawings and other work created by pupils from the nearby Barton Clough Primary school was laid in the floor beneath the main dome in July 1998. The pupils also attended the ceremony to lay the capsule. , December 2025. A
Mercedes 380SL car formerly belonging to John Whittaker's mother was originally displayed on the first floor of Peel Avenue and was moved to Trafford Palazzo after its acquisition by
Peel. Planting is a major element of the centre's interior design. This takes the form of living and preserved trees as well other smaller shrubs which are grown in large planters. Upon opening the centre was home to 40 living trees and 65 preserved
palm trees up to 15 metres high. The living trees,
Ficus maclellandii and
Adonidia Palms were imported from
Florida in the United States and spent some time in a nursery in
Rotterdam, The Netherlands to acclimatise to the cooler European climate before being installed in the building. The preserved palms were grown in
California, USA. The
Global Harbour Mall in Shanghai, China features interior design heavily inspired by the Trafford Centre. Both centres were the work of
Chapman Taylor architects.
Murals The centre is decorated with hundreds of
murals and ''
Trompe-l'œil'' which adorn its walls and vaulted ceilings. These depict many different themes ranging from classical
allegory to historical depictions of
The Manchester Ship Canal and other prominent local landmarks. Portraits displayed along the walls of Regent Crescent commemorate 30 of the centres architects, engineers, and construction managers alongside Peel staff who played a key role in the centre’s development and construction.
Sculpture A notable feature of the centre is the
statuary and other sculpture. There are over 100 figures, mainly in a classical
Greek or
Roman style, many of which were specially commissioned for the centre. Kent based sculptor
Guy Portelli was commissioned to create the 22 classical maidens adorning the
colonnade at the front of The Orient. Dancing maidens bear oak branches as reminder of
Trafford Park's history as a "beautifully timbered
deer park" and reclining figures blow golden trumpets to herald in a new era.
Altrincham sculptor Colin Spofforth created
bronze figures of a real life jazz band for the
New Orleans theme. In 1999 a statue of
Arthur Brooke, the founder of the
Brooke Bond tea company which has had a factory nearby in Trafford Park since 1923, was installed in the centre and can be found in The Orient. The statue was sculpted by Anthony Stones and was donated by the Brooke Bond tea company. As part of the Great Hall redevelopment in 2007, Spofforth was again commissioned to create a crest which forms part of a new
portico at the main entrance. This piece assembles a
griffin,
unicorn and
Roman centurion, once more referencing the arms of the de Trafford family.
Fountains Another popular decorative element of the centre are its
fountains. Seven fountains originally entertained visitors throughout the centre. Over the years some have been replaced or removed. The fountains instantly became a popular site for visitors to make a wish by
tossing a coin into the water. The Trafford Centre periodically removes the coins from the fountains, cleans them and donates the money to local charities via its own Fountain Fund scheme. As of 2024, over £1.2million has been donated since 1998.
The Orient The Orient is Europe's largest food court with 1,600 seats and 35 restaurant outlets. It is decorated in the style of a 1930s
ocean liner, incorporating adjacent themed areas depicting China,
the French Quarter of New Orleans,
Egypt, Italy, New York and Morocco representing the destinations of an ocean voyage. The theme was chosen to reference the nearby
Manchester Ship Canal and
Manchester Docks where passenger and cargo ships used to set sail to all parts of the globe. The ceiling of The Orient is painted to resemble a sky with changing lighting effects and fibre optic stars further enhancing the effect. The two floors incorporate restaurants, bars and fast food outlets in sight of a
giant screen. The Orient was designed by the
Wilmslow based Imagineering Global and was intended to become a destination in itself originally having later opening hours to the rest of the centre at weekends. In February 2025 the China Town section of The Orient was redeveloped into a new area known as Eastern Garden. This area now houses several independent outlets serving Asian cuisine. As part of the works a new more contemporary design has been introduced inspired by Japanese architecture. Most of the original
Chinese theming has been removed.
Great Hall An extension to The Orient known as The Great Hall opened in March 2007
Trafford Palazzo (formerly Barton Square) A , extension to the Trafford Centre opened as Barton Square on 20 March 2008, at a cost of £90million. Barton Square was originally intended to house retailers specialising in homeware, furniture, appliances and other 'bulky goods'. The redevelopment work was completed in March 2020. == Facilities ==