Bold vision at the heart of Cumbernauld, 1968
Despite its controversial status today, Cumbernauld Town Centre, seen here in 1968, was a project truly unlike anything that had gone before, envisioned as a megastructure including shops, services and housing built above and around a dual carriageway. It was also the first covered shopping mall in the UK.
The first phase was opened in May 1967 by Princess Margaret, who ignored her itinerary to chat with locals while also visiting shops and St Mungo’s Church. She is believed to have described the centre as “fabulous.” In 1967 it was awarded the prestigious R.S. Reynolds Memorial Award for Community Architecture from the American Institute of Architects.