Editing Oxford Circus (section)

===20th century===
[[File:London Oxford Circus, 1949 geograph-3044387-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|thumb|left|Oxford Circus in 1949 with temporary facade to the Peter Robinson building]]
The lease on the four quadrants around the interchange was due to expire in 1917, and it was determined they would need to be rebuilt. In 1904, the [[Commissioners of Woods and Forests]] outlined a plan to redevelop Regent Street, including Oxford Circus. In 1909, they invited proposals to redevelop the site.{{sfn|Bartlett|p=11}} The new design was awarded in October 1910 to [[Henry Tanner (architect)|Henry Tanner]], who saw off several rival designs, and was built in stages between 1913 and 1928.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=610}}{{sfn|Bartlett|p=14}} Tanner's design was inspired by 18th-century French architecture, particularly that of [[Ange-Jacques Gabriel]].{{sfn|Bartlett|p=15}} Each quadrant was designed to be symmetrical with the others.<ref name=NHLE/>

The south-eastern quadrant was completed first in 1913, before work stopped at the beginning of [[World War I]].{{sfn|Bartlett|p=16}} The north-western quadrant opened in May 1922 as the London premises for the [[Magasins du Louvre]]. The store was never popular and closed in 1930.{{sfn|Bartlett|p=17}} The south-western quadrant followed in 1925 and the north-eastern in 1928.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=610}}{{sfn|Bartlett|p=17}}

The new north-eastern quadrant was originally occupied by the [[Peter Robinson (department store)|Peter Robinson]] department store. An extension to the store was added to the original quadrant building in 1924.{{sfn|Bartlett|p=17}}<ref>{{NHLE|num=1227690|desc=Peter Robinson|access-date=13 February 2020}}</ref> During [[World War II]], it was badly damaged by bombs in September 1940 but survived owing to its steel frame construction and was quickly repaired to a high standard. The [[BBC]] requisitioned part of the block and it saw significant use in overseas broadcasting during the war. It was sold to the [[London Co-operative Society]] in 1944.{{sfn|Bartlett|p=18}} In 1969, the fourth floor of the Peter Robinson department store was leased by [[Record producer|producer]] [[George Martin]]'s [[Associated Independent Recording]] company, which opened the first [[AIR Oxford Circus|AIR Studios recording complex]] there the following year, with the studio operating in this location until 1991.<ref name="SOSJune2015">{{cite web|last=Bieger|first=Hannes|title=Studio File: AIR Lyndhurst, London|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/music-business/air-lyndhurst-london|website=Sound On Sound|date=June 2015|access-date=9 July 2024}}</ref> Through a series of buyouts and mergers, Peter Robinson became [[Topshop]], which occupied the site until 2020, after it went into liquidation.{{sfn|Bartlett|p=17}}<ref name=les_covid>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/business/topshop-ikea-london-oxford-street-2021-changes-house-of-fraser-b973556.html|title=Goodbye Topshop, hello Ikea: How London's Oxford Street transformed in 2021|work=London Evening Standard|date=27 December 2021|accessdate=5 December 2023}}</ref> It was the flagship store of the franchise, covering four floors and attracting around 28,000 shoppers a day, half of whom would buy something.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/21/business/worldbusiness/21topshop.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1415214562-edQGoGWtOdP4K7Vcqbj+RA|title=But Will It Play in Manhattan?|newspaper=New York Times|date=21 June 2006|access-date=13 February 2020}}</ref>

The buildings are constructed of [[Portland stone]] with a cladding steel frame and slate roofs. They have been Grade II listed since 1973.<ref name=NHLE>{{NHLE|num=1227716|desc=Oxford Circus W1, 250-270, Regent Street W1|access-date=13 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{NHLE|num=1235171|desc=Oxford Circus W1, 249-259, Regent Street W1, 1 and 2, John Princes Street W1|access-date=13 February 2020}}</ref>