Chamberlain Square

The square in July 2016

Chamberlain Square or Chamberlain Place is a public square in central Birmingham, England, named after statesman and notable mayor of Birmingham, Joseph Chamberlain. The square is currently closed to the public and under development as part of the Paradise scheme.

Its features include:

• Birmingham Central Library
• Paradise Forum (beneath the former reference library)
• Birmingham Council House (side elevation)
• Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
• Birmingham Town Hall

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 20 metres (66 ft) high memorial was designed by John Henry Chamberlain (no relation).

and statues of:

• Joseph Priestley
• James Watt
• 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 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 sweeping curve of the steps of the library forms an amphitheatre, and so the square is used for public events.

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 ^[1]) – with the intention of driving business into Birmingham's newly rejuvenated town centre.

Chamberlain Square was the original site of Birmingham's BBC Big Screen, where it was situated until September 2007.^[2]

Paradise Circus Development

As part of the Paradise Circus development by Argent Group the square will be re-landscaped. In 2014 landscape architects, Grant Associates were awarded the contract to design the new public realm.^[3]

Photo gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chamberlain Square, Birmingham.

• 
  Chamberlain Memorial
• 
  Joseph Priestley
• 
  James Watt
• 
  Thomas Attwood, empty plinth, and scattered bronze pages on steps
• 
  Chamberlain Square in 1886
• 
  The square prior to development

Sources

• Pevsner Architectural Guides - Birmingham, Andy Foster, 2005, ISBN 0-300-10731-5
• BIRMINGHAM CHAMBERLAIN PLACE AND BIG BRUM

Streets and roads in Birmingham, England
City centre streets	Bennetts Hill Broad Street Colmore Row Corporation Street Edmund Street Hurst Street New Street Newhall Street Paradise Circus Paradise Street
City centre squares	Brindleyplace Centenary Square Chamberlain Square Five Ways Old Square St Paul's Square Victoria Square
Suburban streets	Orphanage Road
A roads	A34 A38 A41 A45 A47 A435 A456 A5127 A4040 (outer ring road) A4400 (inner ring road)
Motorways	A38(M) M5 motorway M6 motorway
Defunct	The Crescent
Category

Coordinates: 52°28′48″N 1°54′15″W / 52.4800°N 1.9042°W / 52.4800; -1.9042