First look at new John Lewis store

The flagship store, which would create more than 600 jobs, shows the store from Thames Street. And the image offers an early indication of what awaits shoppers, with a formal planning application to be submitted this month.

As well as being 'the principal anchor store' in the extended £300m Westgate centre, the John Lewis building would also set the tone for the long-term regeneration of Thames Street, the rundown inner city ring road.

With four levels, the 230,000 sq foot department store would be the largest of the 80 shops created within the centre, dominating the southern end of the development.

There would be entrances from the ground floor and upper levels of the Westgate Centre as well as from Norfolk Street and Thames Street. In addition, the store could be entered directly from the new 1,335-space car park in Abbey Place. Two of the seven parking levels would be below ground.

The outside of the building has now been designed with brass cladding, not zinc as originally proposed, with substantial amounts of glass designed to make the store as transparent as possible. The image also shows to the left of the store some of the 120 residential units being built within the massive retail scheme.

Richard Cable, director of the company behind the Westgate development, Capital Shopping Centres, said members of the architects' team had travelled around Europe looking at contemporary retail buildings. The inspiration for the John Lewis building had been a modern furniture store in Berlin.

Mr Cable said: "Our aim has been to come up with a building that will not just look special on the day it opens but something that will look good in 60 years. Particular care has been taken with the roof design to ensure it will complement the Oxford skyline."

The new John Lewis is expected to open in autumn 2010. It is hoped work could begin at the Westgate development by the end of 2007, with the new car park having to be built before the existing multi-storey car park can be demolished.

Peter Jeffree, head of architecture at the John Lewis Partnership, said: "We are delighted to have finally found the right location for a new John Lewis department store, serving both Oxford and the extensive Oxfordshire catchment area.

"We have worked closely with the developers Capital Shopping Centres and architects Building Design Partnership to come up with a design that is unique to Oxford. We remain confident that this investment will bring substantial benefits to the community and the local infrastructure."

Alex Hollingsworth, who this week stood down as leader of Oxford City Council, said: "John Lewis building would be the cornerstone of a revitalised Westgate Centre. It will help secure the future of Oxford city centre for years to come."

One of the four levels of the John Lewis store would be a basement. A restaurant on the top storey would offer one of the best panoramic views of the city and out towards Hinksey Hill.

Two separate architects, Allies and Morrison and Building Design Partnership, have produced new designs with the centre divided into four separate buildings, linked by walk ways, stretching from Bonn Square to Thames Street.

Peter Coleman, of the Building Design Partnership, said: "With the John Lewis building we wanted to use metals to create something modern and contemporary. Zinc appeared a little dull. Brass is a very durable material. with a more dramatic quality."

In January, John Lewis was named as Britain's most popular store in the annual consumer satisfaction index survey from Verdict Research.