Westfield Stratford tech tour

Yes, you have clicked onto a story about a shopping centre. But stop! Because this is quite an interesting shopping centre, honest. (It's really really big, for example)

We've paid an opening-day visit to the new Westfield Stratford, an absolutely massive temple to consumerism, packed with tech stores, fancy gadgetry and Lego. Click through the photos above to check it out.

O2, Three, Carphone Warehouse and Bose are all there, as well as a weird new type of Currys PC World called 'Black', that tries to be a lot more trendy and fashionable than the regular warehouse-style shops.

Samsung has its own dedicated shop coming soon, though the launch day belonged to Apple, who's new store was swamped by a gaggle of devotees, some of whom had queued for 24 hours for the grand opening, and to get their mitts on the launch day commemorative T-shirt. Crazy.

The centre itself is about as close to a futuristic utopia as humanity is likely to get without freeing itself from the trappings of material wealth. Broad, clean streets are lined with greenery, and acres of glass stretch as far as the eye can see. we were particularly impressed by strips of square lights that flitted through shades of blue, to give the effect of running water.

If feeding the fires of capitalism isn't your thing, you'll be glad to know that Westfield Stratford has some impressive green energy chops. 75 per cent of its electrical power comes via an on-site combined cooling, heat and power plant apparently, and a rainwater harvesting system is going to be incorporated into the main retail centre.

Will you be planning a visit? Or do you buy everything online with a smug grin plastered across your mug? Let us know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.