O2 Centre

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The O2 Centre is an indoor shopping and leisure centre on Finchley Road, London, near the Finchley Road tube station.

Owned by the X-Leisure group, and opened in 1998. Despite the same name and very similar logo, it has no relationship with the O2 telecommunications brand, which was launched 4 years later. Apparently the name was meant to be a reference to the free running water and fish tank features within the centre itself - but the marketing team accidentally chose O2 instead of "H20".

1 Development
2 Current Occupants
3 Previous Occupants
4 External links

[edit] Development

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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, 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.

[edit] Current Occupants

[edit] Shopping

Shopping facilities include Sainsbury's, Books Etc., Homebase, Optique 20/20, Habitat, and several small stalls selling jewellery, snacks, and the like.

[edit] Bars and restaurants

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

[edit] Other facilities

Other facilities include the Vue cinema, Esporta health club, and the London International Gallery of Children's Art.

[edit] 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 others.