View source for St David's, Cardiff

{{Short description|Shopping centre in Cardiff, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{about|the shopping centre in Cardiff city centre}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
  | name  = St David's<br>'''''Dewi Sant''''' 
  | image               = StDavidsCardiffLogo.svg
  | image_width         = 100
  | caption             = [[File:St David's Centre newly opened.jpg|250px]]<br>St. David's second phase on [[The Hayes]].<br>The Hayes Apartments on the upper levels
  | location            = Cardiff, Wales
  | address             = 
  | coordinates         = 
  | opening_date        = {{Start date and age|1982|03|24|df=yes}}<ref>[http://pirate.cardiffschools.net/index1.htm Cardiff Timeline] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929134414/http://pirate.cardiffschools.net/index1.htm |date=29 September 2007 }}</ref> (phase 1)<br>{{Start date and age|2009|10|22|df=yes}} (phase 2)
  | closing_date        = 
  | developer           = St David's Partnership and [[Land Securities|Land Securities Group]] (50%))<ref name=" StD1" />
  | manager             = 
  | owner               = [[Landsec]]<ref name="CRE">{{cite web |url= https://www.creherald.com/landsec-buys-full-ownership-of-cardiff-shopping-centre/|publisher= CRE Herald|title= Landsec buys full ownership of Cardiff shopping centre|access-date=3 May 2023|date=28 March 2023}}</ref><br>[[Cardiff Council]] (Freeholder)<ref name="StD2"/><br>Linc-Cymru Housing Association (Barrack Lane)<ref name = "Barrack"/>
  | architect           = [[Benoy]] (phase 2)<ref name="landsecurities" /><br>[[Building Design Partnership]] (library)<ref name="landsecurities" /><br>[[Glenn Howells]] (Hayes Apartments)<ref name="landsecurities" /> 
  | number_of_stores    = 203<ref name=" StD1" /><ref name="StD2"/>
  | number_of_anchors   = 4 ([[Boots Group|Boots]], [[Marks & Spencer]], [[Primark]]<ref name=" StD1" /> and [[John Lewis Partnership|John Lewis]]<ref name="StD2"/>)
  | floor_area          = {{convert|129561|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}<ref>Liberty International, 2008, and CSC. [http://www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk/shoppingcentres/stdavids/ St. David's Centre] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102161237/http://www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk/shoppingcentres/stdavids/ |date=2 November 2007 }} has an area of 39,670 sq m; the [http://www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk/developments/stdavids.html St. David's 2] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114120500/http://www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk/developments/stdavids.html |date=14 November 2007 }} extension, has an area of 89,891 sq m. The figure here represents the combined area.</ref> 
  | floors              = 9 (2 shopping levels, 1 restaurant seating level and 6 car park levels) 
  | parking             = 2,550<ref>[http://www.stdavidscardiff.com/Visitor-info#a002 ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026084344/http://www.stdavidscardiff.com/Visitor-Info |date=26 October 2009 }}</ref>
  | website             = {{url|www.stdavidscardiff.com}}
  | footnotes           =
}}

'''St David's''' ({{langx|cy|Dewi Sant}}), previously known as '''St David's Shopping Centre''', is one of the principal [[shopping centre]]s in the [[Cardiff city centre|city centre]] of [[Cardiff]], [[Wales]]. It is in [[The Hayes]] area of the southern city centre. Following the extension of St David's 2 in 2009, St David's is the third [[List of the largest shopping centres in the United Kingdom by size|busiest shopping centre in the United Kingdom]].

The construction of the extension cost a total of £675m and brought Cardiff within the top five shopping destinations in the [[United Kingdom]]. The centre consists of the original first phase - St David's Centre - adjoining [[St David's Hall]] and the second phase, given the development name of St David's 2. The second phase of the shopping centre opened on 22 October 2009, when the first 58 of its 88 stores opened for business.<ref>{{cite web|author=Abby Bolter |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2009/10/22/mammoth-675m-shopping-centre-opens-91466-24983901/ |title=Mammoth £675m shopping centre opens |publisher=Wales Online |access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref>

==History==
In 2008–9, the annual footfall of the centre was 27 million, and it was expected to rise to 33 million in 2009–10.<ref name="StD8">{{cite web |url= http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2009/06/03/shoppers-numbers-set-to-soar-in-cardiff-91466-23774599/|publisher= Media Wales Ltd|title= Shoppers numbers set to soar in Cardiff|access-date=18 September 2009}}</ref> 20 million people visited the centre during the first six months after the opening of St David's 2.<ref>[http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2010/04/08/st-david-s-brings-in-20-million-shoppers-91466-26197655/ Wales Online: ''St David’s brings in 20 million shoppers'']</ref>

St David's was crowned the international shopping centre of the year in 2010 by Global Retail Leisure International, beating contenders in Portugal and Singapore.<ref>[http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2010/06/17/cardiff-s-st-david-s-is-world-s-top-retail-arcade-91466-26668936/ Wales Online | Cardiff’s St David’s is world’s top retail arcade]</ref>

St David's and other centres were patrolled in 2009 by three [[paramedic]]s on bicycles between every Friday and Sunday in order to respond rapidly to medical emergencies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2009/12/16/success-could-lead-to-more-pedalling-paramedics-91466-25399634/|publisher= Media Wales Ltd|title=Success could lead to more pedalling paramedics|access-date=16 December 2009}}</ref>

===First phase===
{{multiple image
| align     = left
| header    = Entrance to St David's first phase on Working St
| header_align = center
| caption_align = center
| total_width= 300px
| image1    = St. David's Centre Cardiff 001.jpg
| alt1      =  
| caption1  = December 2007
| image2    = St David's, Cardiff.jpg
| alt2      =  
| caption2  = June 2010
}}

St David's Shopping Centre was open to the public in January 1981, although it did not officially open until 24 March 1982. The centre has four entrances located on Queen Street, Cathedral Walk, Working Street and Hills Street. The entrance on Hills Street connects to the northern entrance of the second phase of the shopping centre, open at street level and via an enclosed bridge on the first floor. It is also joined internally with [[Queens Arcade]]. There are three [[thoroughfares]] within the centre: Town Wall, Cathedral Walk and St David's Way.<ref name="StD3">{{cite web |url= http://www.stdavids-shopping.co.uk/files/5112.pdf|publisher= Capital Shopping Centres |title= St David's Shopping Centre |access-date=10 January 2009}}</ref>

The centre attracted an average footfall of 39,000,000 per annum<ref name="StD1">{{cite web |url=http://www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk/shoppingcentres/stdavids/  |publisher= Capital Shopping Centres |title= St David's Shopping Centre |access-date=12 December 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071102161237/http://www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk/shoppingcentres/stdavids/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2 November 2007}}</ref> and has a core catchment of 2.4 million people. The 12 million tourists that visit the city annually help generate over £7.5 billion in retail spending. There are seventy-five individual shops and stores in the first centre that cater for a broad demographic. The centre was anchored by [[Boots Group|Boots]], [[Debenhams]], [[Marks & Spencer]] and [[Primark]] in 2007.<ref name=" StD1" /> [[St David's Hall]] was built on top of the shopping centre.

===Second phase (St David's 2)===

St David's, and much of the southern end of Cardiff city centre's shopping area, was re-developed as part of the St David's 2 development.

The second phase was a £675 million extension of the centre, in which a large part of Cardiff's south city centre was demolished. Demolished buildings included Oxford Arcade, St David's Market, St David's Link including the [[Cardiff Central Library]], the [[National Car Parks|NCP]] Tredegar Street [[multi-storey car park]], the [[Wales National Ice Rink]], the NCP Bridge Street multi-storey car park, and [[Toys "R" Us]] who relocated to [[Cardiff International Sports Village]]. The second phase of St. David's was known as ''St David's 2'' during the construction phase, but both phases were simply named "St David's" when the second phase was completed. The second phase consists of three main buildings in total: the Central Library building, which is built on part of the [[Marriott Hotel]] car park, the [[John Lewis (department store)|John Lewis]] department store, which is built on the former Wales National Ice Rink, and the main shopping area, which is built on the former Oxford Arcade, St David's Link and western side of Bridge Street. It also includes [[apartments]], called Hayes Apartments, above the main shopping centre.

{{multiple image
| align     = left
| header    = St. David's second phase (St. David's 2)
| header_align  = center
| perrow=2/2
| total_width=300px
| caption_align = center
| image1    = St Davids 2 - New Shopping Mall - geograph.org.uk - 1584402.jpg
| alt1      =  
| caption1  = Hayes Arcade
| image2    = John Lewis, Cardiff.jpg
| alt2      = 
| caption2  = John Lewis
| image3    = Grand Arcade, St. David's, Cardiff.jpg 
| alt3      = 
| caption3  = Grand Arcade
| image4    = St. David's Centre, Cardiff city centre.jpg
| alt4      = 
| caption4  = The [[multi-storey car park]] and entrance to Eastside
}}
The second phase is made up of different sections, they are:
* '''St David's Walk''', leading to the extension of [[Debenhams]] and the Grand Arcade. 
* '''St David's Way''', The original part of St David's.
* '''Grand Arcade''', connecting St David's Walk in the original centre to John Lewis. The Grand Arcade was split over two floors.
'''The Upper Grand Arcade''' had other shops and stores.
'''The Lower Grand Arcade'''
* '''Eastside''' is the restaurant and café quarter of the second phase of the centre. It is split over two levels.
* '''Working Street''', part of the façade of [[St David's Hall]], was converted into store fronts to better blend with the facade of the Working Street entrance of St David's Centre. {{Citation needed|date=June 2015}}
* The first Welsh branch of the '''[[John Lewis (department store)|John Lewis]]''' department store chain opened in 2009 and is the largest John Lewis store in the UK outside London. The John Lewis department store opened four weeks before the St David's Grand Arcade shopping area was opened.

St David's 2 has added an extra {{convert|967500|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of retail space<ref name="StD2">{{cite web |url=http://www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk/developments/stdavids.html |publisher= Capital Shopping Centres |title= St David's 2 |access-date=12 December 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071114120500/http://www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk/developments/stdavids.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 14 November 2007}}</ref> to the city centre, in addition to the {{convert|260000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} John Lewis department store,<ref name="StD2"/> nine other large stores, and a further 90 smaller shops in a two-tiered shopping mall have been built.<ref name="StD2"/> It has also created 3,000 car parking spaces, new bars and restaurants plus the new {{convert|55000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} Central Library and 4,500 permanent jobs.<ref name="Securities">{{cite web|url=http://www.talkdirect.com/tpl.php?c=4 |publisher=Land Securities |title=St David's 2 Cardiff |access-date=9 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026193448/http://www.talkdirect.com/tpl.php?c=4 |archive-date=26 October 2007 }}</ref> The development has included two new arcades: Grand Arcade and Hayes Arcade to reflect Cardiff's historical Victorian arcades.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.stdavids2.com/news.asp?pageid=80&MediaID=274|publisher= [[Capital Shopping Centres]]|title= St David's 2 matches city blueprint |access-date=17 November 2008}}</ref>

The project, that was hoped to make Cardiff one of the top five shopping destinations in the United Kingdom, [[topping out|topped out]] on 27 January 2009.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7851803.stm |publisher= BBC News |title= Milestone for new shopping centre |access-date=27 January 2009 | date=27 January 2009}}</ref> Many of the retailers in the second phase of the centre were new to Cardiff, and to Wales, in particular [[John Lewis (department store)|John Lewis]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], [[Hollister Co.|Hollister]], and [[Victoria's Secret]].

===Cardiff Central Library===
[[File:Cardiff Library, The Hayes, Cardiff.jpg|thumb|right|Cardiff Central Library with the Alliance sculpture in the forefront]] 
{{main|Cardiff Central Library}}

The former Central Library was located a few hundred yards north of the present building and was knocked down to make way for the St David's 2 development. The new Central Library opened on 14 March 2009.<ref name="Library open">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7929177.stm|publisher= BBC|title= First look at new 'green' library|access-date=18 September 2009 | date=7 March 2009}}</ref>

===Alliance===
{{main|Alliance (sculpture)}}
Alliance is a {{convert|25|m|ft|0}}-high sculpture in [[The Hayes]]. The sculpture consists of a large stainless steel and enamelled metal arrow column and a hoop, which glows in the dark, and falls and rises with the tide. It was paid for by the St David's shopping centre as part of a £1.5m public art scheme in the city centre, was installed in the space between the new shopping centre and [[Cardiff Central Library]].<ref name="unveiled">[http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/12/03/arrow-art-aimed-at-the-heart-of-cardiff-s-history-and-culture-91466-25310297/ WalesOnline | Arrow art aimed at the heart of Cardiff’s history and culture]</ref>

===Hayes Apartments===

Hayes Apartments is part of St David's regeneration development by St David's Partnership; it is a joint venture between Land Securities and Capital Shopping Centres. It consists of 304 apartments above the shopping centre in seven blocks known as phases. The apartments are a mixture of studio flats and 1 and 2 bedroom apartments.<ref name="Hayes">{{cite web |url= http://www.hayes-apartments.co.uk/the-apartments|publisher= St David’s Partnership |title= The Apartments |access-date=16 October 2008}}</ref> The architects for the residential Hayes Apartments were [[Glenn Howells|Glenn Howells Architects]].<ref name="landsecurities">{{cite web |url= http://www.landsecurities.com/websitefiles/StD2.HB-KGRelease.Final.pdf|publisher= [[Land Securities]]|title= Press Release: Luxury fashion brands endorse Cardiff's St David's 2|access-date=21 July 2010}}</ref> Hayes Apartments has private courtyard gardens designed by Hyland Edgar Driver and planted above the rooftop of the shopping centre.<ref name="Gardens">{{cite web |url= http://www.themovechannel.com/news/d0828349-7101/|publisher= TheMoveChannel|title= Rooftop gardens for Cardiff|access-date=7 February 2011}}</ref>

In summer 2010, the first residents moved into Hayes Apartments, which was launched by an outdoor garden party on the development's private courtyard gardens.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/features/2010/09/04/hayes-apartments-prove-the-centre-of-attention-91466-27196647/|publisher= [[Media Wales]]|title= Hayes Apartments prove the centre of attention
|access-date=7 February 2011}}</ref> Sales in the first two phases were announced as completed at the end of 2010 and sales began in the third phase, block 4, which is the largest block.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/01/07/st-david-s-flats-on-sale-91466-27944766/|publisher= [[Media Wales]]|title= St David's flats on sale|access-date=7 February 2011}}</ref> The development was due for completion in 2012.<ref name="Apartments">{{cite web |url= http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2008/11/21/skyscraper-blocks-to-remain-empty-at-st-davids-2-development-until-market-picks-up-91466-22307430/|publisher= [[Media Wales]]|title= Skyscraper blocks to remain empty at St Davids 2 |access-date=21 November 2008}}</ref>

===Barrack Lane Retail Quarter===

[[File:Walkway, St David's Centre, Cardiff.jpg|thumb|left|Barrack Lane, retail and affordable housing.]]

Barrack Lane Retail Quarter is a residential and retail development. It forms part of St David’s and has nine shop units and 27 apartments. It is owned and managed by Linc-Cymru Housing Association, which is an organisation that specialises in affordable housing in Wales.<ref name = "Barrack">{{cite web |url= http://www.barrack-lane.com/about/|publisher= Barrack Lane|title= About - Barrack Lane, a cosmopolitan retail and residential quarter in Cardiff.|access-date=7 February 2011}}</ref>

==Logos and identity==
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| header    = Logos used at St David's 
| header_align  = center
| perrow=2/2
| total_width=300px
| image1=St Davids Shopping Centre.gif 
| caption1=The 1st phase logo 
| image2=Stdavids 2.png 
| caption2=Used during the construction phase
| image3=St David's logo - initial concept design.jpg 
| caption3=The initial "people" design
| image4=St David's Dewi Sant.png 
| caption4=The final "dots" design introduced Oct 2009
}}
Johnson Banks Design Ltd were commissioned by [[Capital Shopping Centres]] and [[Land Securities]] to provide a new logo and identity for the new St David's shopping centre. The designers said
{{quote|1=The overall identity is based on the thought that hundreds of thousands of people will gather and use the new centre as their meeting place, and our "people" diagrams swiftly became the beginnings of the entire scheme... The "people", simplified down to dots, become the linking element in a scheme that applies across a vast array of items, from fonts to symbols and images.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.johnsonbanks.co.uk/thoughtfortheweek/index.php?thoughtid=472|publisher= Johnson Banks|title= Build it and they will come |access-date=29 August 2010}}</ref>}}

==Rail access==
* {{stnlnk|Cardiff Central}}
* {{stnlnk|Cardiff Queen Street}}

==Demolished buildings and the construction of St. David's 2==

<gallery widths="150" heights="150" <big></big> >
File:The former Oxford Arcade, Cardiff.jpg|Oxford Arcade, The Hayes
File:St David's Market, Cardiff, Wales.jpg |St David's Market
File:Cardiff Central Library 2006.jpg|[[Cardiff_Central_Library#St_David's_Link_(1988_to_2006)|Central Library]]<br>(St David's Link)
File:Demolition of Cardiff Central Library for St David's 2.jpg|Demolition of the [[Cardiff Central Library|Central Library]] and Bridge St car park
File:St David's 2, Cardiff--001.jpg|Construction of the John Lewis store
File:St Davids 2 during construction.jpg|Construction along [[The Hayes]] in April 2008
File:St Davids 2 Construction April 2009.JPG|Construction along The Hayes in April 2009
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[List of places in Cardiff]]
* [[List of shopping arcades in Cardiff]]
* [[List of shopping centres in the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of the largest shopping centres in the United Kingdom by size]]
* [[List of largest shopping malls in the world]]
{{clear}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.stdavidscardiff.com/ St David’s official site]
*[http://www.barrack-lane.co.uk/ Barrack Lane official site]
{{Commons category-inline|St David's Centre, Cardiff}}

{{Land Securities}}
{{Intu Properties}}
{{Culture in Cardiff}}
{{Economy and Industry of Cardiff}}
{{Shopping centres in Wales}}

{{coord|51|28|51|N|3|10|32|W|display=t|type:landmark}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint David's, Cardiff}}
[[Category:Economy of Cardiff]]
[[Category:Shopping in Cardiff]]
[[Category:Shopping malls established in 1991]]
[[Category:Redevelopment projects in Cardiff]]
[[Category:Shopping arcades in Cardiff]]
[[Category:Castle, Cardiff]]