Spencer Plaza — Tracing the history of our country’s first mall
Wandering through the largest complex of shops and offices, the stuffy smell of books, foods and antique jewelleries, intermix in the weary street our country’s elderly shopping mall.
The scarcely peopled place and dimly lit is a historical landmark paused in time-step inside and gives feeling of travelling back to the 90’s. This place is Spencer Plaza or Spencer, once the favorite place of Mount Road, and now an artefact struggling against the new shopping malls.
Spencer Plaza, constructed in 1863, was established by JW Spencer and Charles Durant on Anna Salai, which is then known as Mount Road in the Madras Province.
It is the first department store in the Indian subcontinent. This property was initially owned by Spencer and Co limited, which was opened in the year 1895.
Spencer had more than 80 separate departments. Few years later, Eugene Oaksholt owned Spencer and transformed the building with Indo-Saracenic style of architecture.
The building was architected by WN Pogson. It got destructed in a fire in 1983. The current building was constructed in the same site, measured 10 acres and was inaugurated in 1991. Spencer spread across a million squares feet. The mall was progressed in January 1993 by the Mangala Tirth Estate Limited.
Spencer Plaza developed to be one of the most notable and favorite domain for the youths and elderly of Chennai and created the arrival point of Western Culture in the city.
But there was accepting the inclusiveness of the spot. Lining up for ice creams and strolling through bookshops and chilling around the ground floor, a tribute to the Indo-Saracenic style of the history the feet of 1983 took away none of its warm, historical period charm.
The 1914- issued article about the Southern region of India, its History, People, Business, and Industrial wealth confirms that, “A promenade through a never-ending progression of excellently suited and decorated rooms in the Mount Road (of Spencer & Co.) imparts an extraordinary melange of all kinds of products that one is puzzled at the quantity and collection”.
Spencer Plaza in Recent Times:
The difficulties arrived hard and fast for Spencer. New Malls boomed across the city in a span of 3 years and many major retailers and brands shifted their business in the blink of an eye.
The electricity crisis lasting in the city from 2011–2013 worsened the situations as the mall was not prepared for the power cuts. This was one of the biggest hit to Spencer, as its conditioned corridors were the people’s preferred destination to beat Chennai’s afternoon heat.
Today, Spencer experience foreign tourist visit often which is the shopping spot to antiques and handicrafts. The office spaces in the malls are continued to be occupied.
Every Chennaite recognise how they each fell in love with Spencer. R.Prabhu, an engineer in the city, fondly remembers the lovely atmosphere of the mall. “I remember when I was 7 or 8, there was this wonderful cake that was moulded like the entire mall, it was a masterpiece”, he says. Riya Raymond, a college professor, still remembers her days in Spencer, chilling out with her friends. “My college days would have been incomplete without hanging out here for my weekends”, she says.
Despite all these misfortunes, the authority is still confident about the mall. They are also fighting back the obstacles. The infrastructure is back in place. There are no more power cuts. The management said that it is taking its utmost effort to vanish the negative impression of the place in the public’s mind. Thus, it is planning to bring back the many number of brands and theatres and also art galleries. The entertainment section is the place where new changes are brought in. The gaming zones and food courts are also in the list. There are many NRIs who are still loyal to the antique shops in the malls. There are even frequent tourist visits. Keeping all these factors, I think we are ready for the race now, concludes the member of the management.
