A BOLD new look has been unveiled at Bournemouth’s old Avenue Road shopping centre with a quirky escalator art installation.

Shoppers have been given a sneak preview of what the centre will look like when Verve Properties completes its renovation work.

Plans were unveiled in May, which include replacing the “ugly black glass facade” with a “living wall” covered in greenery.

But no details have been revealed about the interior of the building until now.

Verve is currently applying for planning permission for a range of business types to fill the centre.

Shops currently operating there, including the Perfume Shop, HMV, The Works, Sports Direct, Simons Leather and Beauty Park, will stay.

There are also expected to be a range of restaurants and bars and the centre could host pop-up businesses and food traders.

The new installation, designed and created by The Syrup Room, is nothing like Bournemouth has ever seen.

It features reclaimed memorabilia of years gone by, including the old Avenue sign, and is certain to be a talking point for all who visit.

It covers around 600sq ft and has taken nearly eight weeks to complete. It is the second piece of artwork to be commissioned for the site, with many more exciting and cutting-edge ideas in the pipeline.

The first was an AR (Augmented Reality) app created by Bournemouth based Block Digital. Participants are encouraged to download the free App and then stand on one of the carefully placed arrow stickers, aiming phones at the front façade of the building to see what the proposed living wall will look like when it’s completed before the year’s out.

The new owners of The Avenue have carried out recent investigations which show that some original fabric remains, including impressive stone arched windows and art deco tiling. Where the original features remain they will be uncovered, repaired and retained. Where damage has been sustained or the façade is missing, the affected areas will be replaced with a living wall housing a centrally located, giant seven metre TV screen.

Ashley Nicholson of Verve Properties, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the escalator feature which is the first real taste the public will have for what we have in store for the new look Avenue. We are very grateful to The Syrup Room who have spent many hours painstakingly labouring over every fine detail, including all kinds of hidden gems waiting to be found .

“We have plans to take the old Avenue Shopping Centre, as it was previously known, into a new realm of a visual phenomenon with many different features on which to feast your senses. The theme is really nature taking this space back, particularly as it had been abandoned and hoarded off many years ago, hence the moss and planting themes on the escalator.

“There are also subtle references and satire highlighting how fragile the world is. This sits alongside the living wall, which is coming very soon to the Commercial Road frontage and celebrates nature generally and highlights the importance of Bournemouth’s beautiful gardens.”

More detail about the plans can be found at at theavenuebournemouth.com