We take a tour of the new Wimbledon Quarter
Creating Spaces
We take a tour of the new Wimbledon Quarter
The grand unveiling of Wimbledon’s newly renovated neighbourhood hub takes place this month, with visitors set to see the full results of the huge project.
Centre Court shopping centre, now relaunched as Wimbledon Quarter, has been a big feature of the town centre since the 1990s. But to move with the times, Romulus, who acquired the site in 2021, wanted to create a more community-oriented and lively space that would also offer a place for wellbeing, leisure and dining.
Romulus’ Alex Woolf and Amy McIlwraith took us on a behind-the-scenes tour ahead of the launch event. A huge emphasis has been placed on sustainability. There is energy-efficient lighting, waterless urinals, and recycling and composting programmes are in place.
Up on the roof, there is an urban farm. There are beehives – we tried some of the resulting Wimbledon Honey and it’s delicious. There are vegetable plots and herb beds, and a building for growing mushrooms, too. Shitake and oyster mushrooms sprout from leftover coffee grounds that have been donated by local cafes and otherwise go to landfill. In turn, the mushrooms are used in nearby restaurants and sold in delis. There are plans to sell these in the centre, so shoppers can buy this local produce directly.
One of the big new features of Wimbledon Quarter is a retractable roof over a central courtyard, which on fine days will be mean that the space is open to the fresh air. The courtyard has been designed as a hub for people to relax and catch up with friends and for regular local events. For the winter months, an ice rink takes centre stage in the courtyard so you can skate under the stars on crisp evenings – equally, you’re nicely sheltered should it rain.
There are new office spaces being offered on the top floor, which has an outdoor terrace with views over the town and beyond. A co-working area is also opening in early 2024 called Huddle.
In terms of leisure, there are two new offerings that have already opened: The Golf Groove with high-tech simulators for all levels of player, and a bouldering centre, The Boardroom Climbing.
Health and fitness club Third Space opens in December, with a Finnish sauna, 25m swimming pool and a plunge pool for immersive cold water therapy. Natural Fitness Food will be available on site for members and those passing by.
A key aim of the new centre is to make it feel more open to the local community. A wide entrance from Queens Road provides direct access to Wimbledon Quarter and there will be outdoor seating on a wide pavement area.
Mildreds also announced they will open in Wimbledon Quarter. Mildreds is a great synergy for the green ethos of the centre – the restaurant started life in Soho in 1988 and wanted to change the perception of what vegetarian food was all about. The 100% plant-based menu is more popular than ever as people seek heathier and more eco-conscious options.
There’s more still to be announced and new shops to come too, and we’ll keep you posted!
Visit the new website HERE
