Royal Exchange Square
Royal Exchange Square is a public square in the City of Glasgow in Scotland. The square is situated at the junction of Queen Street with Ingram Street. It is also easily accessible from Buchanan Street, through two prominent archways on the West side of the square.The square is a landmark that attracts many visitors due to the central building which houses the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art, (also known as the 'GoMA') and the humorous Duke of Wellington statue.
Along the sides of the square are lots of open air cafés and restaurants. The Square is lit up with a large overhead net of lighting between the Gallery of Modern Art and surrounding buildings. The lighting was originally only activated around the Winter season as part of the city's Christmas decorations, but due to being highly favoured by the citizens of Glasgow it remains, to this day, as a permanent feature.
At the Queen Street entrance there is a statue of Duke of Wellington which usually has a traffic cone placed on his head. This was originally a joke by youngsters, but it is now encouraged by the public to leave the cone intact. The statue has become a representation of simple Glaswegian humour and is favoured by many citizens and tourists who have seen it. However, some tourists have conveyed disappointment upon visiting the statue to discover that the cone has been taken down.
Future plans
The building that sits adjacent to the GoMA went under development and refurbishment to accommodate a new retail unit following Borders Group closure. Rumours insinuated that AllSaints and Abercrombie & Fitch both looked into a lease for the building - dividing it into two retail units to accommodate both stores. The window covers were unveiled to reveal suspended rows of vintage sewing machines, white painted exposed brickwork and reclaimed furniture. These interior details have been found in previous AllSaints branches, and are very fitting with the brand. AllSaints' Ingram Street and Mitchell Lane branches both closed and moved into the Buchanan Street building in May 2010, leaving the upper floors vacant.
The rear of the building is currently being fitted out as a new Zizzi Restaurant with the entrance opening onto Royal Exchange Square opening February 11th as the flagship Scottish Zizzi branch.