Editing Centenary Square (section)

===Centenary Square===
To complement the [[International Convention Centre, Birmingham|International Convention Centre]] and [[Symphony Hall, Birmingham|Symphony Hall]] the square was redeveloped in 1989 and renamed Centenary Square to commemorate 100 year since Birmingham attained city status. The £3.5 million construction of Centenary Way, a bridge across the Inner Ring Road linking Paradise Circus to Centenary Square was essential in creating an uninterrupted pedestrian route with the city centre, pedestrians previously had to cross beneath the road in an underground subway. The colonnade at the western end of the square was relocated to [[St. Thomas' Peace Garden]]. Artist [[Tess Jaray]] designed the railings, street furniture and paving for the square which included 525,000 pavers to be laid out in the design of a Persian Rug.<ref name="Tilson">{{cite journal |last1=Tilson |first1=Barbara |title=Art for the People |journal=[[RIBA Journal]] |date=November 1991 |volume=98 |issue=11 |page=41}}</ref> Jaray was assisted by [[Tom Lomax]].<ref name="Tilson" /> It had originally been planned for Jaray to design paving for the interior of the convention centre.<ref name="Tilson" /> Lomax designed the ''Spirit of Enterprise'' fountain which stood in the centre of the square,<ref name="Tilson" /> [[David Patten (artist)|David Patten]] designed ''Industry and Genius'' an artwork dedicated to [[John Baskerville]], located outside [[Baskerville House]].<ref name="Tilson" /> As the centrepiece to the square was ''Forward'' an artwork named after the city motto, designed by [[Raymond Mason (sculptor)|Raymond Mason]] the sculpture stood on a podium centrally within the square. The square officially opened in 1991.

As part of the millennium celebrations a beacon named the ''Flame of Hope'' was erected between The Rep and Baskerville House. Cliff Richard lit the flame during the inaugural ceremony; however funding problems led to the "perpetual" flame being regularly turned off and it was removed for the construction of the [[Library of Birmingham]]. The ''Forward'' statue was removed after being destroyed by arson on 17 April 2003. A [[King Edward VII Memorial|statue of King Edward VII]] by [[Albert Toft]] was relocated from [[Highgate Park]] to the square in November 2010 where it now stands outside Baskerville House.

During the construction of the [[Library of Birmingham]] in 2010–13, the ''Spirit of Enterprise'' fountain was removed to storage permanently at the Museum's Collection Centre. In the place where the fountain once stood an amphitheatre was created as part of the library which is accessed through the library. In the newly created lawns outside the library the statue ''[[A Real Birmingham Family]]'' was unveiled in 2014 designed by [[Gillian Wearing]].