The landmark city centre retail mall first opened its doors on October 17, 1983.

The centre was among the first of its kind in the UK, containing features such as a food court, inspired by American shopping centres; the first glass wall climber lift, which was an exact copy of those in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta; and served as a template for other national shopping centres.

The Ridings centre was massively popular upon opening, with queues forming on the streets.

The following year, the centre went on to win the title of European Shopping Centre of the Year, a title it went on to win for the next decade.

The centre was extensively refurbished in 2008 at a cost of £2.5 million.

The improvements included a redesign of the centre’s entrances as well as new lifts, which replaced the original glass wall-climber lift.

In 2015, The Ridings was bought by investment company NewRiver Retail and given a £5m makeover.

However, in recent times since the makeover, several shops within the centre have closed, despite the opening of a new food court and cinema, with high street retailers struggling, especially during the pandemic, to cope.

Despite this, The Ridings was purchased by the Leeds-based property developer, Zahid Iqbal in 2023, who is currently continuing to update the centre.

Look back at the centre in 1991, through these great photos.