The Ridings Shopping Centre:
A new map for Wakefield’s pioneering shopping mall.
Approach
The award-winning Ridings Shopping Centre opened in 1983 and was the first indoor shopping mall of its kind in the UK. The centre covers an area of around 319,000 sq ft with an estimated annual footfall of around 10 million people. The centre contains well-known high street retailers such as Boots, M&S, Primark and Morrisons and is also the home to a cinema along with several ‘Makey Wakey’ pop-up art and exhibition spaces.
The Ridings is nestled amongst other buildings and streets within the centre of Wakefield and has a complicated footprint which covers multiple levels. We were tasked with updating the centre map to make navigating the site as easy as possible.
We achieved this by adopting a 3D isometric illustration style which helps to visualise the physical space. We gave prominence to the main walkways, which are the most recognisable shapes when navigating the different levels. Stores are colour-coded to further aid navigation and we created a set of bespoke icons that are clear and easy to understand.
Externally, the cathedral is the main point of reference, so this landmark was included to show the orientation of the maps. The inclusion of trees and sheep reflect the centre’s quirky Yorkshire-themed interior.
