O2 Centre

This article is about the indoor shopping center on Finchley Road in London, England. For the entertainment district in Greenwich, see The O2 (London). For other uses, see O2.

The O2 Centre (regularly stylised as O₂ Centre) is an indoor shopping and leisure centre on Finchley Road, London, near Finchley Road tube station. It is located in between Hampstead, West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage.

Owned by the X-Leisure group, and opened in 1998. Despite the same name and very similar logo, it is no relation to the O2 telecommunications brand, which was launched 4 years later. The name was chosen as reference to the spacious feel of the building, as O₂ is the chemical formula for Oxygen.

Development

The opening of the centre in 1998 came after many years of the site remaining derelict. In the early 1990s the buildings along Finchley Road were demolished in preparation for the centre, but problems with planning permission, with concerns over traffic in particular, led to construction being delayed by many years. A great deal of consultation took place with local residents, including asking them to vote from a choice of 3 designs for the exterior of the building, relating to different kinds of periodic elements - and asking them to suggest a name.

Original plans included having a bowling alley in the location eventually occupied by Esporta, Sainsbury's being in the warehouse-style building occupied by Homebase, and the lower ground level (now Sainsburys) being home to several non-food retailers.

The original £15m budget for the build was exceeded in early 1997, causing a temporary delay in the build until additional capital investors could be found.

Current Occupants

Shopping

Shopping facilities include a 24 hour Sainsbury's, Waterstones, Optique 20/20, Habitat, and several small stalls selling jewellery, snacks and nuts. Sainsbury's finished their refit in August 2008 which saw the 4500sq/m store increase to over 9000sq/m partly thanks to a removal of many checkouts in favour of self checkouts.

External Retailers

• Homebase
• VW and Audi car showrooms

Bars and restaurants

Eating facilities include Nando's, Wetherspoon's, Starbucks, The Walkabout, Yo! Sushi, Cumin, Fine Burger Company and Zuccato.

Other facilities

Other facilities include the Vue cinema, Starbucks Coffee, Esporta health club, Gymboree, and the London International Gallery of Children's Art. There is one of the largest dance studios in London on the top floor of the centre.

Previous Occupants

Restaurants and bars which previously had spaces in the O₂ Centre include the Capital Radio Cafe, Pizza Hut, Old Orleans, Ed's Easy Diner, Smollensky's, Babe Ruth's sports bar, Bar Circa, and China Red.

Transport

The closest tube station is Finchley Road with the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines.

Finchley Road and Frognal station with the North London Line is a short walk away and West Hampstead railway stations are also in close proximity.

There are several bus and coach routes that stop right outside the O2 centre including 13, 82, 113, 187 and 268. Also close by are C11, 31, 46, 139, 328 and 603 bus stops. Local night buses are N13, N28, N31 and 139.

External links

• O2 Centre official website

Coordinates: 51°32′53″N 0°10′54″W / 51.548°N 0.1816°W / 51.548; -0.1816