Lewisham Shopping Centre set to get huge new open-air market

Lewisham shopping centre is set to get a 21st century revamp complete with an outdoor food market and space for music, socialising and culture. 

Plans to give disused parts of the Molesworth Street mall a breath of new life have been designed by London architects IF_DO, and involve demolishing the old Argos unit in the southern end of the building.

A planning application has been submitted by developers LandsecU+I and, if approved, these works could be carried out as early as the end of this year, meaning the space could open as soon as next summer.

This comes in the run up to the submission of LandsecU+I’s wider plan for the redevelopment of Lewisham town centre, which is expected in the coming weeks. 

The ambitious development plans will see a garden “bigger than a football pitch” installed on the roof of the shopping centre, a new pedestrian high street focused on food and drink as well as 1,700 new homes.

Jon Watson, the development director leading the Lewisham Shopping Centre transformation for LandsecU+I, said: “We know from our engagement with the community that there is widespread excitement about what our plans for Lewisham Shopping Centre could mean for the borough. 

“So, we’re bringing forward a smaller planning application to speed up the delivery of the southern square – a dynamic new public space dedicated to food and music.

“We’re now busy working on our next submission for the wider masterplan and the first two Buildings.”

If the smaller application for demolition is approved by Lewisham council, LandsecU+I said it will work with existing businesses in the shopping centre to “limit disruption” and ensure business operations are not affected.

The developer has said it will be able to share further plans for the space in the coming weeks.

Pictured top: The architect’s drawing of the proposed improvements to the shopping centre (Picture: IF_DO)