Chamberlain Square

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The square showing One and Two Chamberlain Square in the background in 2023 Chamberlain Square 1.jpg
The square showing One and Two Chamberlain Square in the background in 2023

Chamberlain Square or Chamberlain Place is a public square in central Birmingham, England, named after statesman and notable mayor of Birmingham, Joseph Chamberlain. The Victorian square was drastically remodelled in the 1970s, with most of the Victorian buildings demolished and the construction of the Brutalist Central Library. Re-landscaping occurred most recently when the square was closed to the public for five years until March 2021 for remodelling as part of the Paradise scheme. [1]

Contents

Its features include:

Statues and monuments

and statues of:

The statue of James Watt was originally located on Paradise Street next to the Town Hall. The Joseph Priestley statue was originally located in Victoria Square (then called Council House Square).

The annual Birmingham Christmas Craft Fair is held in Chamberlain Square from the 3rd Friday in November to the 23rd of December. The event began as "Winterval" in 1997/8 (20 November – 31 December [2] ), with the intention of attracting business into Birmingham's newly rejuvenated city centre.

Chamberlain Square was the original site of Birmingham's BBC Big Screen , where it was situated until September 2007. [3]

Paradise Circus Development

As part of the Paradise Circus development by Argent Group the square was re-landscaped and surrounding buildings demolished including the brutalist Birmingham Central Library and Paradise Forum (beneath the former reference library). In 2014 landscape architects, Grant Associates were awarded the contract to design the new public realm. [4] The square reopened in March 2021 as the final part of the first phase of the £700m Paradise scheme following its closure in November 2015, the square was transformed with new paving, steps and lighting. Two commercial buildings, One Chamberlain Square and Two Chamberlain Square, totalling 350,000 sq ft of space, now face onto the square and form the commercial part of Phase One of Paradise.

Sources

  1. "Chamberlain Square re-opens at Paradise | TheBusinessDesk.com". West Midlands. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  2. Birmingham City Council 'Winterval' brochure
  3. "Big Screen". BBC Birmingham. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  4. "Future for Paradise Circus becomes clear at MIPIM 2014". Birmingham Post . Birmingham. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.

Further reading

52°28′48″N1°54′15″W / 52.4800°N 1.9042°W / 52.4800; -1.9042


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