[1] Construction work on the centre, which is bounded by St Andrew's Street, Corn Exchange Street, and Petty Cury,[2] commenced in 1970 and the development contained a library, multi-storey car park and magistrates' court.

For many years a central feature of the atrium was a white pillar with the statue of a large red lion on the top of it, safely out of easy reach.

[3] The lion statue was removed in 1999 and is now at the Cambridge University rugby club's ground on Grange Road.

the Grand Arcade mentioned above, adjoins Lion Yard on its south side; the two are interconnected.

The Centre consists of a three-storey office block (Lion House and St George House), an undercover external colonnade taking up one half of Petty Cury, external shops opposite St Andrew the Great Church, many high street retailers internally along with housing the seventh busiest library in the UK.