The Trafford Centre has begun its largest-ever refurbishment of The Orient food hall, but the initial changes are already dividing shopper opinion. The first phase of the project has seen the old wooden deck chair-style seats, which have been in use since the centre opened 28 years ago, replaced with colourful new chairs in peach, blue and maroon.
New seating draws criticism
Readers of the Manchester Evening News did not hold back in their reactions to the new look. Diane Wolstenholme said: "Looks like a school canteen." Ant Hodgson wrote: "Removing the theming takes away from the whole experience and imagination of being onboard a cruise ship."
Hannah Jane said: "It was supposed to resemble a ship so now it doesn’t? I used to love the water in the middle and the deck chairs. Just looks like McDonald’s now." Others described the new chairs as "plastic garden chairs".
Loss of character concerns
Lee Roberts said: "It's lost its identity and its soul. It was such an impressive shopping centre when it first opened in 1998. I wish we could go back to how things were, as they were much better times." Chris Pearson said: "Lost all character," while Matt Longden quipped: "Like being on a 1 star cruise." Tracey Lancaster added: "Wait till people start mixing the chair colours into different areas."
The vast space, designed to look like a giant cruise ship, has remained unchanged since the centre first opened and is one of its most iconic spots. The refurbishment is intended to modernise the seating areas, making them brighter and more accessible, and to increase seat numbers by 60 per cent from around 700 to over 1,200.
Plans for completion before Christmas
Centre bosses have stressed that this is only the first stage of the refurbishment, which will be fully complete before Christmas. A statement from the Trafford Centre said: "The transformation of The Orient is well underway, with only the first phase of the new scheme in place - there is so much more to come!"
The statement added: "This is a significant investment in the space which will include additional soft and banquette seating, integrated charging points, striking new lighting features, family-friendly areas and enhanced theming throughout." Bosses also confirmed they are donating as many of the old wooden chairs as possible to local charities and organisations.
Lighting will be improved amid customer complaints that the food hall is too dark, with the aim of transforming the aesthetic to a "modern day cruiseliner" instead of an ageing ship deck. The refurbishment follows a programme of investment across the centre's infrastructure, including escalator upgrades and toilet refurbishments, with The Orient's public toilets set for a major refurbishment after Christmas.
