- see also Victoria Square, Adelaide, Australia
Victoria Square is an important public square in Birmingham, England. It is home to both the Town Hall and the City of Birmingham Council House. The square was named after Queen Victoria after her death in 1901 when a statue of her was erected. It was previously known as Council House Square.
It is often considered to be the centre of Birmingham as it lies between St. Philip's Cathedral on Colmore Row and the central shopping district of New Street. The square is also a short walk from the Bull Ring and Brindleyplace. The square was closed in August 1992 for redevelopment, which saw the installation of a fountain, representing youth and eternity, called 'The River' but know affectionately as 'The Floozie in the Jacuzzi'. Around the upper pool of the fountain is a quotation from the poem 'Burnt Norton' by T.S. Eliot. Two sphinx-like creatures stand as guardians of the fountain at the lower end of the square.
Several public artworks are permanently displayed in Victoria Square including 'The Iron Man' by Anthony Gormley. The sculpture was given as a gift to the city by a local savings bank in March 1993. It was cast in Willenhall, a district of the Black Country which lies to the northwest of the city, and is representative of the skills used by local craftsmen during the Industrial Revolution.
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Last updated: 05-09-2005 20:52:58
