The Oracle, Reading

The Oracle is a big indoor shopping and leisure mall located on the banks of the River Kennet in Reading, Berkshire, England. It is partly built on the site of a 17th-century workhouse that had the same name. The mall was developed and is owned by Hammerson. It is a popular place for people to shop and enjoy various activities.

History

The Oracle gets its name from an old building called the Oracle workhouse that was there long ago.

In 1997, a company named Hammerson bought a big empty area near the town center. Before that, it was home to a brewery and a bus depot. They wanted to build a new shopping place with many shops, especially fashion stores.

The first part of The Oracle opened in September 1999, with more restaurants, pubs, and a cinema coming later that year. A big department store moved into the shopping center, which helped connect it to the nearby Broad Street. The final part opened in May 2000.

Stores and facilities

The Oracle has 90 shops, including big stores like Next plc and House of Fraser. There are also 22 places to eat and drink by the river, and an 11-screen Vue cinema. The Oracle adds a lot of shopping space to Reading and brings in stores that might not have come here otherwise.

The Oracle Riverside area has restaurants and bars along the narrow part of the River Kennet called Brewery Gut. There is space for tables outside, and special seating like in a stadium. Two bridges cross the river: Cooks Bridge connects the car park to House of Fraser, and Delphi Bridge links the cinema to Debenhams.

Artists were brought in to create special artworks, like the Crystal Beacon, a shiny prism on top of a car park. The design of the whole place was made by Haskoll & Co. from London.

The Oracle also has two big car parks with space for 2,300 cars.

Awards

Reading was named one of the best town centers in the country in 2002. In 2007, the Oracle shopping center was ranked 16th among the best retail centers in the UK by Experian. It has also won many awards over the years, including the BCSC award for best new center in 2000, the ICSC award for best International Shopping Centre in 2001, and several Secure Car Park awards from 2000 to 2014.

• 2000 BCSC award for best new centre
• 2001 ICSC award for best International Shopping Centre
• Secure Car Park award 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
• Loo of the Year Awards 2001 and 2002
• 2003 BCSC Best Advertising Campaign
• 2007 BCSC 'Established Centre' Gold Award
• ROSPA Gold Award 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
• Investors in People Award

References in popular culture

YouTuber and amateur pianist Joe Jenkins made a video called "Playing MEGALOVANIA in a mall until someone asks me to stop." He played the music for almost two hours before a security guard asked him to stop.