Xscape (building)
Xscape is a brand name for buildings developed by X-Leisure, now part of Land Securities. Typically they contain a real snow indoor ski slope, leisure facilities and related shops. As of 2017, there are two members of the chain, located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Castleford, Yorkshire (both in England).[1] A former member in Scotland has been sold. Xscape Milton Keynes and Xscape Yorkshire were designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects.[2]
Xscape Milton Keynes
Xscape Milton Keynes | |
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Xscape Milton Keynes seen from across Secklow Gate | |
General information | |
Address | Avebury Boulevard at Secklow Gate, Central Milton Keynes MK9 3XA |
Town or city | Milton Keynes |
Country | England |
Coordinates | 52°02′29″N 0°44′56″W |
Elevation | 105 metres (344 ft) |
Opened | 2000 |
Client | X-Leisure |
Height | |
Roof | 44 metres (144 ft) (max) |
Design and construction | |
Architecture firm | FaulknerBrowns |
Website | |
www |
Xscape Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire) opened in 2000 and is a major feature on the skyline of Central Milton Keynes as seen from the east. The Xscape is 44 metres high,[3] making it the second tallest building in Milton Keynes after Mellish Court in Bletchley. Xscape Milton Keynes features a 170m long real-snow ski slope, a 16-screen cinema, a number of shops and restaurants and a climbing wall. An interesting point is the two large funnels on the front of the building are sometimes mistaken for lifts or part of the cooling system; in fact they are stairs.
Located directly behind the Xscape building is a large square structure that houses an indoor skydiving centre named 'iFLY' (previously known as 'Airkix' until September 2016[4]).
Xscape Yorkshire
Xscape Yorkshire (53°42′37″N 1°20′30″W) is in Castleford, West Yorkshire and opened in October 2003 with a footprint of approx 5,500 square metres (59,202 sq ft).
Xscape Yorkshire was a major development for what was before, an average sized town in West Yorkshire and is situated next to Junction 32, a popular outlet mall formerly known as Freeport.
The development contains a number of shops, restaurants, a church,[5] and entertainment facilities including a bowling alley, multi screen cinema, laser tag, crazy golf and amusements. The cinema is one of the few Cineworld cinemas in the UK that has D-Box motion seating. It utilises complex ventilation technology.[6]. The site is served by Glasshoughton railway station on the Pontefract line (Leeds–Hull), opened by West Yorkshire Metro on 21 February 2005.[7]
Xscape Braehead Renfrew
Xscape formerly had a centre in Renfrew. It was sold to Intu Properties.
References
- AJfocus - Volume 18 - Page 76 2004 A void behind the panels allows visual inspection from the warm side on an annual basis, and allows thermographic surveys and airtightness tests to be carried out. The ski box in the second-generation Xscape building, Xscape Castleford, which opened in September 2003, was slightly different. Only part of the ski slope was surrounded by spaces used for other purposes (cinema, fitness suite), with the remainder of the box projecting above the surrounding roofs. As at Milton Keynes, ...
- FaulknerBrowns Architects – see Home, then Millenium
- "Xscape Building, Milton Keynes - SkyscraperPage.com". Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- "From Airkix to iFLY". iFly Indoor Skydiving. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- XChurch - how to find us "Christchurch is located toward the back of Xscape Yorkshire, above Trespass."
- "Xscape Ski Slope & Retail Development". Caswell Engineering Services. 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- Lowson, Rob (11 December 2015). "Transport chiefs optimistic Apperley Bridge station will open on Sunday – despite safety certificate delay". Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
External links
- Xscape Yorkshire
- Xscape Milton Keynes
- Snozone – Direct link for the indoor snow slopes
- Photographs of the opening day of Xscape in 2006, Braehead near Glasgow
- UK Snowboard club article on Xscape MK
- X-Leisure company website
- Xscape project details – Clyde Waterfront Regeneration
- Review of Xscape Castleford