This is what the first Overgate looked like in the 1960s and 70s

What the original 1960s Overgate centre looked like. (Picture via Dundee City Archives)

Step back in time to explore the vibrant heart of Dundee in the 1960s and 70s. The Overgate Centre, a bustling hub of activity, was a reflection of the era's culture and community spirit.

This gallery, courtesy of the Dundee City Archives, showcases a collection of images and memories that encapsulate the essence of the Overgate during its formative years.

From the iconic yet blocky architecture to the lively street scenes, discover how this central location shaped the lives of its visitors and residents alike.

Photographs from the time capture a very different Dundee – one where overhead signs jutted from buildings, offering everything from tailoring to tea, and where the pavements were often crammed with shoppers, workers, and weans.

It was busy, noisy, even chaotic at times – but it had soul.

Through the 1970s and 1980s, the Overgate became a hub of daily life. It was home to popular stores like C&A, WM Low, Littlewoods, and many independent outlets – a bustling space where generations shopped, met friends, or simply passed through on their way to the Wellgate or the High Street.

Its layered walkways and open-air sections gave it a distinct character, though some saw it as cold and grey, especially during the harsher Scottish winters.

Its layered walkways and open-air sections gave it a distinct character, though some saw it as cold and grey, especially during the harsher Scottish winters.

By the 1990s, however, the centre was beginning to show its age. As shopping habits evolved and retail expectations shifted, the once-modern design was now seen as tired and uninviting. Footfall declined, units emptied, and calls for redevelopment grew louder.

In the late 1990s, major plans were approved to demolish most of the original structure and rebuild a fully enclosed, glass-fronted centre fit for the 21st century. By 2000, the old Overgate was gone – replaced by the sleek shopping mall we know today, anchored by names like Frasers, Primark, and H&M.

But for many Dundonians, the original Overgate Centre remains part of the city’s collective memory. From the brutalist walkways to the quirky corners and familiar shopfronts, it defined decades of everyday life in the city centre.