Angel Central Shopping Centre, a prime retail destination in Islington, London, UK, has been refurbished to become one of the leading retail and leisure destinations in North London.
CBRE Global Investors, the owner of the shopping destination, submitted a planning application for the redevelopment of a part of the shopping centre to Islington Borough Council’s planning committee, in June 2018.
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The company proposed to remove the angel wings sculpture located within the outdoor public space in the planning application and later submitted a revised application in September 2018, which stated that the structure would be retained.
CBRE had invested £11m ($14.22m) in the transformation of the basement car park to provide increased retail and leisure space. The work was completed in the first phase of the £16m ($20.90m) refurbishment project. The second phase of the master plan was completed in March 2021.
Angel Central Islington shopping centre location
The leisure and entertainment destination, previously known as an N1 shopping centre, is located at 21 Parkfield Street in Islington, North London, UK.
It is situated two miles from the City of London, near Angel tube station.
Angel Central Islington shopping centre design and features
Opened in 2002, the shopping facility houses leading retail brands and a cinema complex. The 170,000ft² (15,793m²) shopping centre welcomes approximately ten million visitors a year.
The renovation project has enabled the mall to add more restaurants, outdoor seating, and leisure spaces.
It also involved the replacement of the existing lighting, ceilings, pavings, and balustrading to the public areas to provide a modern look.
CBRE purchased 19 Upper Street in August 2016, and 14 Upper Street in April 2019. It planned to improve the visual appearance from Upper Street and develop new gateway units with a rooftop restaurant.
Construction of Angel Central Islington shopping centre
An existing retail outlet on the first floor was transformed into a restaurant with a 7m (22.9ft) fully glazed curtain walling system, with terracotta baguettes installed as a feature façade for providing a brise soleil.
The refurbishment project also included the stiffening of the curtain wall framework and new stylish glazing for various shop fronts. The elevation of the angel wings as part of the second phase was completed in August 2020. The 12t hand-rolled stainless-steel sculpture, which is spread across 15m (49ft), was raised by 3.5m (11.48m) from its existing position, to sit atop a new footbridge.
The elevated location is a part of the al fresco dining area, which was constructed as the centrepiece of the mall’s renovation plans.
Other works included street-facing pop-out screens and the construction of a new pedestrian link bridge, with balcony extensions to the walkways in the first level.
A 4.4m (14.4ft) high, ellipse-shaped, fully glazed kiosk unit was built beneath the angel wings sculpture. The kiosk uses a cantilevered steel goal post frame to house and support the curved glass sliding doors. New concrete faced steps, additional seating, and landscaping planters were also created.
The glass wall cladding sits on a continuous steel beam at low level and is fixed to a load bearing upstand, and a concrete ground beam. At high levels, the glass is held within the bridge structure, delivering structural integrity.
Retail offerings and amenities at the Angel Central Islington shopping centre
The mall houses a 22,000ft² (2043m²) H&M store and other retailers such as GAP, Calzedonia, Monsoon, Accessorize, Oasis, Rituals, Argos, Paperchase, MUJI, Flying Tiger Copenhagen, and L’Occitane.
Typo, an international stationary specialist, opened a unit next to L’Occitane, and Calzedonia in the first half of 2019. The mall houses fitness operator Frame, which occupies 5,200ft² (483m²). A 15,500ft² (1439m²) Uniqlo clothing store opened in 2019 as the anchor store of the renovated shopping centre. Holland & Barrett, a wellness retailer, opened a new store spanning 1,389ft² (129m²), in December 2020.
Know the Origin, a sustainability-focused department store, opened a pop-up store at the mall in July 2021. The temporary store spans 2,831ft² (263m²) and showcases over 200 brands such as Girlfriend Collective, Thinking Mu, and Hara The Label.
Dining and entertainment venues at Angel Central Islington shopping centre
British restaurant and cocktail bar Jones & Sons opened its facility at the mall in June 2018. The 2,110ft² (196m²) restaurant can accommodate 94 people and includes an outdoor terrace space.
Saint Espresso opened a cafe at Angel Central in January 2022. The store sits in the glass fronted kiosk. Pelicana, a South Korean fried chicken brand, was also expected to open a store at the shopping centre in early 2022.A nine-screen 42,800ft² (3976m²) Vue Cinemas complex has been a longstanding feature of the mall. Vue Cinemas extended its lease in April 2019 for additional 25 years, until 2044.
Visitors can choose from a range of dining options, including Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Hotel Chocolat, Itsu, Pret, and Wagamama.
Sustainability credentials
Angel Central is excellent certified by Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).
The shopping mall was awarded a 2-star rating from Fitwel in March 2021, becoming one of the only three shopping centres in the world, and the second in the UK, to have achieved this international health and wellbeing award.
It also received the Fitwel Highest-Scoring Projects Award under the Retail Building v2.1 Design Certification category in March 2022.
Contractors involved in Angel Central shopping centre renovation
RED Construction was awarded a contract worth £7m ($8.92m) for the second phase of the shopping centre renovation. It worked with development manager Queensberry for delivering the contract.
Haskoll Architects and TconcepT were the architects for the project. FRA Creative won a contract for the development of wayfinding and signage strategy for the mall.
Perega Clear Structures was selected as the glass engineer for the project while Goodman Metal Works was commissioned to remodel the angel wings sculpture.
AECOM was responsible for providing structural and service engineering services for the project. Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) was appointed as the managing agent for the shopping destination in October 2020. The project team also included Henry Riley, FRA Creative, and PEC Parkfield.
In May 2021, LSH appointed ABM to provide facilities management services for the mall, for a term of three years.
Artform was selected by RED Construction to supply street furniture including benches, seats, and litter bins at Angel Central.
