Centenary Square

- Broad Street, Central Square, Library of Birmingham, Hyatt Regency, Symphony Hall, ICC, Hall of Memory, Alpha Tower, Westside district


Centenary Square
is a square, North of Broad Street, in the Westside district (W. part of city centre), surrounded by very modern highrise buildings, monuments, sculptures and classic buildings. It was named to commemorate the centenary of Birmingham achieving city status. At Centenary Square you find the Hyatt Regency, a 24 floors tall glass skyscraper hotel built in 1990, the historic Hall of Memory, a war memorial erected in 1925, a golden sculpture from 1956 with statues of the three carpet salesmen Matthew Boulton, James Watt and William Murdoch, a lifesized sculpture of a real Birmingham family, the Baskerville House (an art deco building that formerly was the Civic Center) from 1938 and:

The Central Library of Birmingham, the largest public library in the UK and largest regional library in Europe. It is a large building (60m tall) with rare high tech postmodern architecture featuring oriental shapes with golden glass and a mix of rectangular circular shapes. This library was opened in 2013. The building was designed by Francine Houben and is very futuristic and unusual. It is one of the most visited attractions in the UK, and is considered a flagship for Birmingham's redevelopment. Inside the building you will find a futuristic circular atrium with blue neon escalators, a futuristic glass elevator leading to the top and and an observation deck/rooftop terrace with public views of Birmingham. At this modern terrace you find the Shakespeare Room, an old fashioned room with books, the death mask, sculptures and other belongings to William Shakespeare. The library is connected with the Birmingham Rep (Repertoar Theatre), built in 2013. Alpha Tower, built in 1970 near Centenary Square, is currently (2017) the 2nd tallest skycraper, with its white diagonally irregular design. It has 28 floors and is 100m to the roof.

The ICC (International Convention Centre) building that includes the Symphony Hall has one entrance at the square and a large and long very modern atrium that leads to the canal. It was built 1984-91 with blue tinted windows and white stone cladding. The square is a center for many of the city's main cultural events. The Wheel of Birmingham, a high ferris wheel was placed at the square 2005-06.

Broad Street is a busy street that passes Centenary Square to the South, you pass the canal, the Hyatt Regency and Popworld, a former church that is now a fluffy night club.

In the Westside district, you also find the Brindleyplace, canalside mixed-use development. Here you find the National Sea Life Centre, Royal Bank of Scotland, Orion Media, Ikon Gallery of Art and the Crescent Theatre. Central Square, the heart of Brindleyplace, is a nice modern square/designed piazza with fountains and many postmodern buildings. The ArtsFest is held here annually. Here you find the Brindleyplace Clock Tower, a red brick landmark, that is part of Three Brindleyplace building in Italian renaissance/postmodern style that also faces the canal. Inside the building is an atrium. Oozels Square is next to Central Square.

 

CENTENARY SQUARE:

Centenary Square 01 Centenary Square 02 Centenary Square 03 Centenary Square 04 - Hyatt Regency Centenary Square 06 - Alpha Tower Centenary Square 07 Centenary Square 08 - Hall of Memory Centenary Square 12 - Baskerville House Centenary Square 13 - Hyatt, Symphony Hall Centenary Square 14 - Symphony Hall, ICC Centenary Square 17 - Family sculpture Centenary Square 18 - school class Centenary Square 19 - The Cube Centenary Square 20 - The Cube, Boulton, Watt, Murdoch statues Hyatt Regency, Centenary Square Hyatt Regency Alpha Tower 02 Alpha Tower from Centenary Square
Centenary Square 23 -Symphony Hall Centenary Square 24 -Boulton, Watt, Murdoch statues Centenary Square 25 Centenary Square 26 - Repertory Theatre Library of Birmingham 01 Library of Birmingham 02 Library of Birmingham 03 Library of Birmingham 04 Library of Birmingham 05 Library of Birmingham 06 Library of Birmingham 07 Library of Birmingham 08 Library of Birmingham 09 Library of Birmingham 10 Library of Birmingham 11 Library of Birmingham 12 - Shakespeare Room Library of Birmingham 13 - Shakespeare Room Library of Birmingham 14 - Shakespeare Room Library of Birmingham 15 - Shakespeare Room Library of Birmingham 16 - Shakespeare Room Library of Birmingham 17 - Shakespeare Room Library of Birmingham - Shakespeare Room Orion Tower, 10 Holloway Circus Views from the Library of Birmingham 01 Views from the Library of Birmingham 02 Views from the Library of Birmingham 03 Views from the Library of Birmingham 04 Views from the Library of Birmingham 05 Views from the Library of Birmingham 06 Views from the Library of Birmingham 07 Views from the Library of Birmingham 08 Views from the Library of Birmingham 09 Views from the Library of Birmingham 10 Views from the Library of Birmingham 11 Views from the Library of Birmingham 12 Views from the Library of Birmingham 13 Views from the Library of Birmingham 14 Views from the Library of Birmingham 15 Views from the Library of Birmingham 17 Views from the Library of Birmingham 18 International Convention Centre, ICC 03.JPG International Convention Centre, ICC 04.JPG International Convention Centre, ICC 05.JPG

BROAD STREET:

Broad Street 01 - Walk of Stars Broad Street 02 Broad Street 03 - Hyatt Regency Broad Street 04 Broad Street 05 Broad Street 06 - Popworld Broad Street 07 - Ikon Art Gallery
Broad Street, The Cube Brindleyplace Clock Tower 01 Brindleyplace Clock Tower 02

CENTRAL SQUARE:

Brindleyplace Clock Tower 03 Central Square 01 Central Square 02 Central Square 03 - Brindleyplace Central Square 04 Central Square 05