Editing Chamberlain Square

{{Short description|Public square in central Birmingham, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Chamberlain Square Birmingham.jpg|thumb|300x300px|View of the square in March 2025, with One and Two Chamberlain Square visible in the background along with the newly completed 49-storey, 155-metre [[Octagon, Birmingham|Octagon]] residential tower]]
'''Chamberlain Square'''  or '''Chamberlain Place''' is a [[Town square|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 [[Birmingham Central Library|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, Birmingham|Paradise]] scheme.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-31|title=Chamberlain Square re-opens at Paradise {{!}} TheBusinessDesk.com|url=https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2050233-chamberlain-square-re-opens-at-paradise|access-date=2021-04-04|website=West Midlands|language=en}}</ref>

Its features include:
*[[Chamberlain Memorial]]
*[[City of Birmingham Council House|Birmingham Council House]] (side elevation)
*[[Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery]]
*[[Birmingham Town Hall]]
*One and Two Chamberlain Square

==Statues and monuments==
*Chamberlain Memorial – In honour of the public service Joseph Chamberlain gave to the city of Birmingham, the memorial fountain was unveiled in his presence on 10 October 1880 as the centrepiece of the new public square. The {{convert|20|m|ft}} high memorial was designed by [[John Henry Chamberlain]] (no relation).
* Statue of [[Joseph Priestley]], which was originally located in [[Victoria Square, Birmingham|Victoria Square]] (then called Council House Square).
* Statue of [[James Watt]], which was originally located on [[Paradise Street]] next to the Town Hall.
* Statue of [[Thomas Attwood (economist)|Thomas Attwood]] by [[Sioban Coppinger]] and [[Fiona Peever]], 1993. The bronze statue sits, having left his [[plinth]], and scattered his bronze pages, on the steps.

The annual [[Birmingham Christmas Craft Fair]] is held in Chamberlain Square from the third Friday in November to 23 December. The event began in 1997 as "[[Winterval]]", held from 20 November to 31 December,<ref>Birmingham City Council "Winterval" brochure</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2007/09/25/birmingham_big_screen_moves_feature.shtml|publisher= [[BBC Birmingham]]|title= Big Screen|accessdate=19 January 2018}}</ref>

==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.<ref name=PCD>{{cite news|title=Future for Paradise Circus becomes clear at MIPIM 2014|url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/future-paradise-circus-becomes-clear-6812135|date=13 March 2014|work=[[Birmingham Post]]|accessdate=14 March 2014|location=Birmingham}}</ref> 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.

==Photo gallery==
{{Commons category|Chamberlain Square, Birmingham}}
<gallery>
File:Chamberlain Memorial Birmingham.jpg|Chamberlain Memorial
File:Chamberlain Square Statue Priestley.jpg|Joseph Priestley
File:James Watt - Statue - Birmingham - 2005-10-13.jpg|James Watt
File:Thomas Attwood on the steps.jpg|Thomas Attwood, empty plinth, and scattered bronze pages on steps
File:Birmingham in 1886.jpg|Chamberlain Square in 1886
File:Chamberlain Square, Birmingham April 2007.jpg|The square prior to development
File:Chamberlain Square July 2016.jpg|During redevelopment, July 2016
File:One Chamberlain Square (1).jpg|One Chamberlain Square
File:Chamberlain Square.jpg|Two Chamberlain Square
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*''Pevsner Architectural Guides - Birmingham'', Andy Foster, 2005, {{ISBN|0-300-10731-5}}

{{Streets in Birmingham}}

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[[Category:Squares in Birmingham, West Midlands]]