City2

The story of City2

In the beginning of the 1970'es, the foundation was laid for an ambitious and grand centre project on a field in Høje-Taastrup. And on the 30th of October 1974 at 12 noon, the ribbon was cut to open City2 to an excited crowd of people.

As an increasing number of women entered the labour market at this time, busy families with children demanded a smarter and faster way to do their shopping, i.e. the option to make all their purchases at one place.

Based on this trend and the increasing demand, the grand and ambitious centre project was initiated. The inspiration came from the United States like so many other things at the time. They had already for years had so-called shopping malls, which were large, lavish, impressive and extremely popular with American nuclear families.

The City2 building was designed by the architects Stærmose & Isager, and the impressive building project was both advanced and time-consuming. More than 50,000 sqm of glass were used and the characteristic and 850 tons heavy roof covering the centre rested on six columns.

The ambition was to establish "a city in the city" – hence the name City2. From the very beginning, focus was on families with children, and they really liked the new shopping centre. Another strategy was to make shopping a pleasant experience and current activities and events at the market square supported this. In time, the facilities in City2 also appealed to the older generations – and City2 gradually became a popular meeting and shopping place for people of all ages – not just from the local area but from most of Zealand.

Since the opening in 1975, the centre has been updated and modernised to meet current trends and customer preferences. The first "facelift" was made in 1982, and since then in 1995/1996 and in 2000. From 2005-2007, a major extension was made, including the establishment of Føtex in the centre. Most recently in 2014, Copenhagen Designer Outlet opened its 17,500 sqm store right next to City2. So, in spite of its ripe old age City2 still manages to stay "young" and in tune with the current trends. Therefore, City2 is still one of the largest and most popular shopping centres in the country.