Video: Your first look inside Trinity Leeds

Click the screen to see inside the complex. More video coverage through the day.

The £350 million development is the only major shopping complex opening this year in the UK.

The new addition to the city’s skyline, with its huge glass-domed roof, is expected to create 2,600 jobs across the region, its owners said.

Work on the project began in 2008 but was stopped for more than year as the economic storm swept the UK.

The one million sq ft centre, named after the Holy Trinity Church it stands next to, will include a cinema with sofas, which opens next month, as well as more than 120 shops, restaurant and bars.

It was launched today with an opening event curated by British fashion designer Henry Holland.

This included the unveiling of the world’s longest designer dress - a 15m-high creation modelled by aerial acrobat and former Cirque du Soleil principal artist Colette Morrow.

Marketing manager Paul Smith said: “Trinity Leeds promises to constantly offer visitors something new.

“The centre combines shopping with entertainment and events including pop-up shops, performances, art installations and it will even help play host to the very best of the Leeds cultural calendar.

“Set in the heart of Leeds and joining the three busiest shopping streets under our stunning, sweeping dome roof, Trinity Leeds brings the largest range of shops ever to the city for visitors to enjoy.”

Mr Smith said almost half of the stores at Trinity Leeds are new to the city and most of the units have already been let.

Last night, hundreds of shop workers, fitters and cleaners were busy putting the final touches to the site.

More than 70 stores opened this morning, including West Yorkshire’s first Apple store, which gave away t-shirts to its first 1,000 customers. New bars and restaurants such as The Alchemist and D&D London’s Crafthouse and Angelica were also unveiled.

Councillor Keith Wakefield, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The opening of this major development speaks volumes for Leeds and the

confidence that a long-term investor of Land Securities’ calibre has in the city’s future.

“Trinity Leeds has brought a very welcome and timely jobs boost, creating opportunities for businesses and local people to gain skills and employment.

“Alongside our own arena project, which opens in July, this investment is transforming the city centre, strengthening the economy and underlining Leeds’s position as the regional capital at the heart of the city region.”

Trinity Leeds has been designed to be one of the most digitally advanced shopping centres in the UK with free wi-fi, assistants with internet-connected iPads and large video walls operated by gesture recognition. The centre has also launched a mobile app today so that shoppers can search for items available at the site.

The centre’s £500,000 art scheme was also unveiled today as work by 17 international and local artists went on show.

From today, shoppers staying for less than two hours can park for free at the Merrion Centre’s Town Centre car park. The offer runs until April 21 and shoppers need to print a voucher from the company’s website and have a receipt from a Trinity Leeds store.