Things Change

Things stay the same. I was working at the new St James shopping centre today on opening day. Taking pictures for one of the new shops on their first day. Has the pandemic undermined the future for retail shopping complexes like this? At least the building incorporates entertainment and other leisure uses, or it will when it is finished, with a hotel, holiday apartments, cinema, bowling alley and food and drink places.I think they missed a trick for the opening given the ribbon motive that creates the controversial top of the building. They could have featured one long ribbon, snaking through the building and each store cuts the section at their door in a rolling ceremony like a set of falling dominos, running through the building. As it was, it was all a bit disjointed, with sporadic cheers going up as different premises celebrated their own little opening ceremonies. Other units are not occupied yet and behind the scenes there is still work to be done. The view almost four years ago looked like this.