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{{short description|Shopping mall in Chennai, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Spencer Plaza
| native_name =
| image = Spencer_Plaza_from_Anna_Salai.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Spencer Plaza, a prominent landmark of Chennai
| alternate_names =
| location = [[Anna Salai]], [[Chennai]], [[India]]
| address = 769, Anna Salai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 002, India
| coordinates = {{coord|13.061|N|80.261|E|display=ti}}
| highest_prev =
| highest_next =
| construction_start_date = 1863

| completion_date =
| inauguration_date =
| building_type = Shopping mall and commercial offices
| antenna_spire =
| roof =
| top_floor =
| floor_count = 8
| elevator_count =
| architectural_style = [[Modernism]]
| cost =
| floor_area = {{convert|530000|sqft|m2|-3|abbr=on}}<ref name="India's most stunning malls"/>
| architect = C.R. Narayana Rao & Co
| structural_engineer =
| main_contractor = Tarapore & Co
| developer = Mangal Tirth
| owner =
| operator =
| references =
}}

'''Spencer Plaza''' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]: ஸ்பென்சர் பிளாசா) is a shopping mall located on [[Anna Salai]] in [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]], and is one of the modern [[landmark]]s of the city. Originally built during the period of the [[British Raj]] and reconstructed in 1985 on the site of the original Spencer's department store, it is the oldest shopping mall in India<ref name="PlazaFailsToKeepUpWithTime"/> and was one of the biggest shopping malls in [[South Asia]] when it was built.<ref name="IndiaMallsInfo">{{cite web
| title = Spencer Plaza, Chennai
| publisher = IndiaMallsInfo.com
| url = http://www.indiamallsinfo.com/spencer-plaza-shopping-mall-mount-road-chennai.html
| access-date = 15 Dec 2011}}</ref> It is one of the earliest Grade A commercial projects of the city, which were developed in the second half of the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Nair
| first = Ramesh
| title = Realty on the rebound in Chennai
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 4 December 2010
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-propertyplus/article930315.ece
| access-date = 31 Jul 2012}}</ref> As of March 2010, it is the 11th largest mall in the country, with a gross leasable (retail) area of 530,000 sq ft.<ref name="India's most stunning malls">{{cite web
| title = India's most stunning malls
| publisher = Rediff Business
| url = http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-indias-most-amazing-malls/20120409.htm
| access-date = 14 Apr 2012}}</ref>

==History==
Spencer Plaza was built in 1863–1864, established by Charles Durant and J. W. Spencer in Anna Salai, then known as Mount Road, in the [[Madras Presidency]]. The property originally belonged to Spencer & Co Ltd. Spencer & Co opened the first department store in the [[Indian subcontinent]] in 1895. It had over 80 individual departments. After a few years, Eugene Oakshott, owner of Spencer's, shifted the department store to a new building, which was an example of [[Indo-Saracenic]] style of [[architecture]]. The building was designed by W. N. Pogson. In 1983, the original building was destroyed in a fire.

The present Spencer Plaza was constructed on the same site, measuring about 10 acres, and was opened in 1991.<ref name="PlazaFailsToKeepUpWithTime">{{cite news
| last = Ravikumar
| first = R.
| title = First mover fails to keep up with times
| newspaper = Business Line
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Hindu
| date = 14 December 2011
| url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/brandline/article2712366.ece
| access-date = 14 Dec 2011}}</ref> Spread across a million square feet built in three phases with parking space for 800 cars, the plaza is a major hangout for the people of Chennai. The mall was developed by Mangal Tirth Estate Limited in January 1993.<ref name="TNEBPullsPlug">{{cite news
| last = Madhavan
| first = D.
| title = TNEB pulls the plug on Spencer Plaza
| newspaper = The Times of India
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Times Group
| date = 15 June 2012
| url = http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2012/06/15&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00301&ViewMode=HTML
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083206/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2012/06/15&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00301&ViewMode=HTML
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 4 March 2016
| access-date = 15 Jun 2012}}</ref>

==Building==
[[File:Spencer Plaza at Night.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Spencer Plaza at night]]
The plaza is an eight-storey shopping-cum-office complex of approximately 1.068 million sq ft, consisting of nearly {{convert|600000|sqft}} of air-conditioned shopping units and {{convert|400000|sqft}} of office units. The shopping arcade is located on the ground, first and second floors in all three phases, and the office units are spread between the fourth and the seventh floors. The car parks are spread over the basement, ground, second and third floors, in addition to double basement parking lots in the third phase of the building.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Spencer Plaza: Technical Details
| publisher = Mangal Tirth
| url = http://www.mangaltirth.com/techdet.php
| access-date = 17 December 2011}}{{Dead link|date=February 2017}}</ref>

The first phase of the building consists of about 300,000 sq ft, including about 125,000 sq ft of centrally air-conditioned shopping space and 100,000 sq ft of office units together with about 75,000 sq ft of service areas. The second phase consists of about 400,000 sq ft, with a provision for about 600 cars at the basement, with shops with various sizes ranging from 300 sq ft to 2,000 sq ft. The third phase covers another 300,000 sq ft.<ref name="SpencersAutobiography"/> The theme of the third phase is based on colonnaded structure recreating the old Spencer's around a full-height atrium.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Spencer
| publisher = CRN.co.in
| url = http://www.crn.co.in/portfolio_details.asp?id=185&pid=4&hnam=Retail&xVal=-155
| access-date = 5 April 2014}}</ref>

There are over 700 shops in the plaza and over 22,000 people visit the plaza every day, with the number increasing to 40,000 on weekends and to 60,000 on festival days. The complex has three counters to keep track of footfalls. Over 20,000 two-wheelers check into the parking lot on weekends.<ref name="SpencersAutobiography"/>

===Technical and safety aspects===
[[File:Spencer Glass Roof.JPG|thumb|right|220px|Glass roof in the third phase of the mall]]
Being a high-rise building, the complex has a wet riser system and electronic fire alarm system installed. The underground sump has a storage capacity of {{convert|100,000|L}}. A ring main surrounds the building from the pump room. Five wet risers run from basement to the second floor and three run from the fourth floor to the seventh floor. These risers are located at strategic points in each floor. The pump room has three pumps, one jockey pump, one main pump with an electric motor and one main pump connected with a diesel engine. The electronic fire detection system comprises smoke detectors and manual call points located in various points in common areas in all floors, sub-stations, electrical rooms, A/C plant and so forth, which are connected to a centralised computer located at the enclosures of the chief security officer. There are also many portable fire extinguishers at each floor in different locations. The rear periphery of the building has fire escape stairs, with fire escape routes displayed with signboards at various points of the building. The car ramps can also be used as fire escape routes. The building has two entrances, one from Binny Road and another from Anna Salai, for fire engines.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Spencer Plaza: Salient Features of Fire Protection in Spencer Plaza
| publisher = Mangal Tirth
| url = http://www.mangaltirth.com/features.php
| access-date = 17 December 2011}}{{Dead link|date=February 2017}}</ref>

Fire safety includes a water capacity of 1.2 million litres, fire sprinklers, smoke and heat detection systems and fire extinguishers. The in-house fire department has six firemen per shift.<ref name="SpencersAutobiography">{{cite news
| last = Kamath
| first = Sudhish
| title = I'm Spencer, and here's my story
| location = Chennai
| date = 6 June 2007
| url = http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2007/06/06/stories/2007060650040100.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080110081029/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2007/06/06/stories/2007060650040100.htm
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 10 January 2008
| newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
| access-date = 16 December 2011}}</ref>

==Shops==
[[File:Spencer exterior.JPG|thumb|left|220px|Phase II entrance]]
The mall hosts major anchor stores such as Westside (spread across 20,000 sq ft) and [[Landmark Bookstores|Landmark]] (40,000 sq ft), and several local and international brands such as [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]], [[Adidas]], [[Bata Shoes|Bata]], Regal, Health & Glow, Vummidiars, [[Van Heusen (brand)|Van Heusen]], Proline, Allen Solly, Florshaim shoes, Lipton, Louis Philippe, [[Titan Industries|Titan]], Levi's, [[Casio]], V.I.P. Luggage, Spencer & Co (40,000 sq ft on the ground, first and second floors), [[Timex watches|Timex Watch Showroom]], Swatch, Cookie Man, BPL (Profx), Color Plus, Navigator, Witco, [[Pantaloon Retail India|Pantaloons]] (26,000 sq ft), Arrow, [[Lee (jeans)|Lee]], Music World (now closed), Food World, [[HSBC]], [[ABN AMRO]], [[American Express]], [[Citibank]] (65,000 sq ft in second and third phases), First Flight<ref name="IndiaMallsInfo"/> and Du Bowl (16,000 sq ft).<ref>{{cite news
| title = Du Bowl centre comes up at Spencer Plaza
| newspaper = Business Line
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Hindu
| date = 8 January 2003
| url = http://thehindubusinessline.in/2003/01/08/stories/2003010800261700.htm
| access-date = 16 Dec 2011
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120426053701/http://thehindubusinessline.in/2003/01/08/stories/2003010800261700.htm
| archive-date = 26 April 2012
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> [[McDonald's]], the world's largest fast food chain, has established an outlet.

[[File:Spencers Plaza.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Inside Phase III]]
On 26 February 2004, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB) established a trade centre at the complex at a cost of {{INR}}17 million. The Sri Lanka Trade Centre is spread over 20,000 sq ft on the first floor at the third phase of the building.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Sri Lanka opens trade centre in Chennai
| newspaper = Business Standard
| location = Chennai
| date = 1 March 2004
| url = http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sri-lanka-opens-trade-centre-in-chennai/184347/
| access-date = 17 Dec 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| title = Sri Lanka Trade Centre opened in Chennai
| newspaper = Business Line
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Hindu
| date = 27 February 2004
| url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2004/02/27/stories/2004022700621700.htm
| access-date = 17 Dec 2011}}</ref> Seventeen frontline [[Sri Lanka]]n companies display apparel, artificial flowers, confectionaries, footwear and leather products, gems and jewellery, herbal products, light engineering products, porcelain, tableware, [[Ceylon tea]] and toys.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Sri Lanka Shopping Mall @ Sri Lanka Trade Centre, Chennai
| publisher = Srilankabusiness.com
| url = http://www.srilankabusiness.com/announ/Chennai.htm
| access-date = 17 Dec 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| title = Sri Lanka Trade Centre inaugurated in Chennai
| location = Chennai
| date = 27 February 2004
| url = http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/27/stories/2004022704651200.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040422102441/http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/27/stories/2004022704651200.htm
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 22 April 2004
| newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
| access-date = 17 Dec 2011}}</ref>

==Incidents==
On 4 September 2008, a fire erupted on the first floor of the building's first phase around 10:20 p.m. local time, perhaps due to a short circuit. A garment shop was burned in the incident. With the help of 12 water tenders and 9 fire tenders, the fire was extinguished within 30 minutes, and no casualties were reported. The firemen had easy access to the spot, mainly due to the setback space available inside the building.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Fire at Spencer Plaza
| location = Chennai
| date = 5 September 2008
| url = http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090559790500.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080908012120/http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090559790500.htm
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 8 September 2008
| newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
| access-date = 16 Dec 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| title = Fire breaks out at Spencer Plaza
| location = Chennai
| date = 5 September 2008
| url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-09-05/chennai/27900753_1_fire-tenders-blaze-first-floor
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130103114853/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-09-05/chennai/27900753_1_fire-tenders-blaze-first-floor
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 3 January 2013
| newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
| access-date = 16 Dec 2011}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|India}}
* [http://www.spencerplaza.com/ Spencer Plaza e-commerce website]
* [http://www.mangaltirth.com/ Mangal Tirth official website]

{{Shopping malls in India}}
{{Chennai Topics}}

[[Category:Shopping malls in Chennai]]
[[Category:1985 establishments in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Shopping malls established in 1985]]
[[Category:20th-century architecture in India]]
[[Category:Office buildings in Chennai]]

Spencer Plaza - Revision history

JacksonCazaly4: Started Initial Entry Nd Citations