St Enoch Centre
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The St. Enoch Centre is a shopping mall located in the central area of Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. Construction began in 1986, and the building was opened to the public in May 1989. It was officially opened by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in February of the following year.
Located on the site of the former St Enoch Station, the building is just off Glasgow's famous shopping throughfare, Argyle Street and overlooks the historic St. Enoch Square and Subway station. Whilst the target of many architectural critics, the building is notable for its massive glass roof, which remains the largest of its kind in Europe. Not only does this substantially reduce heating and lighting loads (the mall area is lit entirely by natural daylight in summer), it also earned the building its affectionate nickname "The Glasgow Greenhouse".
The glass roofed element surrounds a seven storey car park, and when originally opened, an ice rink. This was closed in 1999 when a huge refurbishment programme (intitiated to compete with the newer Buchanan Galleries), saw it being replaced by more shops and an enlarged restaurant area.