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Chamberlain square then and now

I agree Curly. Queen's College was demolished except for it's Grade 2 listed frontage as you mention. The building in it's present form retains the name Queen's College Chambers at 38 Paradise Street. Now condos and offices. The building was pretty old and decrepit back when I worked there. The lift was ancient. The stairs were marble
with a lot of wrought iron railings and the whole lift was encased in wrought iron. I don't think much had been done to the interior since 1904.

For more info on what is coming in Paradise Circus in the near future is a quick view of a recent pdf file by Birmingham Council. A lot more buildings are coming down!
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...i5UaXg&sig=AHIEtbQ9_Z16A8FnTYDLYPLQ9bA9JXi7EA
 
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I am a newcomer to this site so apologies for joining a thread that is almost two years old. Some excellent pictures have been posted here.


I left Brum in 1970, so I have no idea what kind of furore there was, if any, when such fine buildings were flattened but I can kind of understand how it happened - which is in no way to condone it. It all but brings tears to the eye when seeing pictures of what was lost.


It may look a crazy thing to do today, but the development did have some merit. Chamberlain Square was transformed from a not entirely pleasant traffic thoroughfare into a very valuable and usuable civic space. It may have happened mid 70's but the mood of the time was perhaps still influenced by the 50's and 60's when it was very much 'if it's old it has to go, new has got to be good'. After all, who wanted the hassle of fresh fish when you could have proper fish fingers? People were amenable to a Birmingham that looked like Chicago rather than Heidelbug - according to artists impressions, anyways.


I look at the plans for the next Chamberlain Square and am horrified. Knock down the old libray by all means, but replace it with something to be proud of. I wonder if in 40 years time people will reflect on the way that, with barely a murmur of concern, so many ordinary buidlings were packed into the scheme and a key civic area was turned into the focal point of a series of wind tunnels and rendered all but useless.
 
The changes from 2010 to 2017.

Birmingham Central Library in 2010



Early demolition of the ex library from January 2016



February 2017 - you could see through to Centenary Square.



August 2017 - construction of 1 Chamberlain Square is well underway

 
The library is so awful it is almost comical. It is such a shock as you approach it.
There ought to be a vote as to which is the worst, Selfriges or the library.
 
The Library of Birmingham is much better than the old Birmingham Central Library (1974-2013). I've been inside of it loads of times. I think a lot of people love the Selfridges building.
 
ellbrown said:
The Library of Birmingham is much better than the old Birmingham Central Library (1974-2013). I've been inside of it loads of times. I think a lot of people love the Selfridges building.
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I like the wine bar/bistro if you can get in
Bob
 
I normally only see the Library Cafe on the ground floor open myself.

Better get back on topic!
 
Centenary Way from the Secret Garden at the Library of Birmingham.

April 2016 - demolition of the old library



November 2017 - you can see Chamberlain Square from up here, at least before 2 Chamberlain Square goes up!

 
Think that was where the George Dawson statue used to be under. Statue is in storage. That shorter spire, not sure what happened to it.

Statue of the 19th century preacher, lecturer and politician George Dawson under it's canopy near the Chamberlain Memorial Fountain in Chamberlain Square. Dawson came to Birmingham to preach in 1844, and his followers and friends united to build a chapel for him, 'the Church of the Saviour', which opened in 1847. The design of the statue was intended to show Dawson in the attitude of speaking at one of his lectures, and the canopy above featured the heads of Bunyan, Carlyle, Cromwell and Shakespeare, symbolising Religion, Letters, Governments and Poetry. The original statue by Thomas Woolner was unveiled in 1881, but was disliked because it was not a good likeness. A new statue was commissioned from F J Williamson, and Woolner's statue was moved around to several other locations in the city before ending up at it's present site behind the library.
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That was from a little book called Did you know? Birmingham a Miscellany. With photos from the Francis Frith collection. Their photo showed it in 1896.

https://www.francisfrith.com/birmin...the-chamberlain-memorial-fountain-1896_37279x
 
Didn't know that Ell, thanks. So the fountain was the Chamberlain memorial and the smaller memorial was for George Dawson. Expect the short spire was demolished (although I did wonder if was moved to a park - looks slightly reminiscent of something I've seen in a park photo). Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
What happened to the (Chamberlain ?) memorial (far right of this pic) ? Viv.

View attachment 120512
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Did we ever find out what happened to the George Dawson Memorial Statue?

I have just Read this wonderful article Called "The Lost Prophet" about George Dawson. Love this section from the 6th Page.

‘The time has come to give everything to everybody’, Dawson announced. ‘The day would come when a man would be ashamed to shut up a picture by Raphael or a statue by any great master in a private house.’ The ‘gifts of genius’ should be like ‘sunshine, open to all, for all, to be reached by all, and ultimately to be understood and enjoyed by all’.

So so true!

 
Charlie said:
Will you STOP posting these pictures Lyn? I just about manage to dry my eyes, and lo there's another one :blue:
Me me me Wendy .. I shall be going in May for my fifth/sixth visit to Krakow, marvelling at the wonderful architecture there. Liverpool's another city that preserved many of their old buildings, ok sometimes it was because they couldn't afford to demolish and rebuild after the war but thank goodness for it! Since then, the planners have realised the importance of keeping historic buildings and aren't making the mistakes that Birmingham planners made in the sixties (I hope
Click to expand...


Thank goodness Liverpool retained their old buildings,where else would Peaky Blinders be filmed?:confused:

Nodd KD
 
Janet Hunt said:
Did we ever find out what happened to the George Dawson Memorial Statue?

I have just Read this wonderful article Called "The Lost Prophet" about George Dawson. Love this section from the 6th Page.

‘The time has come to give everything to everybody’, Dawson announced. ‘The day would come when a man would be ashamed to shut up a picture by Raphael or a statue by any great master in a private house.’ The ‘gifts of genius’ should be like ‘sunshine, open to all, for all, to be reached by all, and ultimately to be understood and enjoyed by all’.

So so true!

Click to expand...
George Dawson statue is still in Birmingham Collection store, but his bust may be seen outside Shakespeare Memorial Library on the 9th floor of Birmingham Library.
 
This shows the site of the later named Chamberlain Square (apparently referred to as Squirt Square by some in later years - due to fountains ?). On this spot a performer would at one time entertain passers by. He was William Fenner who went by the professional name of "Herr Rennef" - reversed surname !

Viv.

Screenshot_20230716_190924_Chrome.jpgScreenshot_20230717_084247_Chrome.jpgScreenshot_20230717_084432_Chrome.jpgSource: British Newspaper Archive
 
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