51-574: Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster in central London , England. Laid out in the 19th century, it features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west, and it contains twelve statues of statesmen and other notable individuals. As well as being one of London's main tourist attractions, it is also the place where many demonstrations and protests have been held. The square
102-557: A "square" has a wider meaning. There are public squares of the type described above but the term is also used for formal open spaces surrounded by houses with private gardens at the centre, sometimes known as garden squares . Most of these were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. In some cases the gardens are now open to the public. See the Squares in London category. Additionally, many public squares were created in towns and cities across
153-713: A clause into the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 making it illegal to protest in Parliament Square (or, indeed, in a large area reaching roughly half a mile in all directions) without first seeking the permission of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner . The provisions of that Act relating to Parliament Square were repealed by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 , which provides for
204-458: A continual protest there for several years, campaigning against British and American action in Iraq . Starting on 2 June 2001, Haw left his post only once, on 10 May 2004 – and then because he had been arrested on the charge of failing to leave the area during a security alert – and returned the following day when he was released. The alleged disruption caused by Haw's protest led Parliament to insert
255-627: A different regime of "prohibited activities". As well as sparking a great deal of protest from various groups on the grounds of infringement of civil liberties including the European Convention on Human Rights , the Act was initially unsuccessful in accomplishing its goals: Brian Haw was held to be exempt from needing authorisation in a High Court ruling, as his protest had started before the Act came into effect (though any new protests would be covered); Haw remained in Parliament Square. Later,
306-683: A marketplace but were built in front of large palaces or public buildings to emphasise their grandeur, as well as to accommodate military parades and ceremonies, among others (for example the Place Royale in Brussels and the Koningsplein in Amsterdam ). Palace squares are usually more symmetrical than their older market counterparts. In Russia, central square ( Russian : центра́льная пло́щадь , romanised : tsentráĺnaya plóshchad́ )
357-692: A particle in a proper noun. Like the Italian piazza and the Portuguese praça , the plaza remains a center of community life that is only equaled by the market-place. A plaza de toros is a bullring . Shopping centers may incorporate 'plaza' into their names, and plaza comercial is used in some countries as a synonym for centro comercial i.e. "shopping center". In the United Kingdom, and especially in London and Edinburgh ,
408-479: A plaza can mean one of several things: Today's metropolitan landscapes often incorporate the plaza as a design element, or as an outcome of zoning regulations, building budgetary constraints, and the like. Sociologist William H. Whyte conducted an extensive study of plazas in New York City : his study humanized the way modern urban plazas are conceptualized, and helped usher in significant design changes in
459-669: A statue of himself in this spot when Parliament Square was redeveloped in the 1950s. Roberts-Jones's initial versions of the statue were felt to bear too close a resemblance to Benito Mussolini. Prime Minister 1916–1922 Unveiled by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Stands on a plinth of slate from Penrhyn Quarry , North Wales. Prime Minister of South Africa 1919–1924 and 1939–1948 51°30′03″N 0°07′37″W / 51.5009°N 0.1269°W / 51.5009; -0.1269 ( Jan Smuts ) Winston Churchill, on his return to power in 1951, wished to erect
510-421: A statue to Smuts; he was, however, unable to perform the unveiling due to illness. The pedestal is of granite from South Africa. Prime Minister 1855–1858 and 1859–1865 51°30′03″N 0°07′38″W / 51.5009°N 0.1271°W / 51.5009; -0.1271 ( Viscount Palmerston ) Palmerston is portrayed in middle age, before he became prime minister. The pedestal departs from
561-460: Is a back formation, since krásnaja (the term for "red") also means "beautiful" in archaic and poetic Russian, with many cities and towns throughout the region having locations with the name "Red Square." Gwanghwamun Plaza ( Korean : 광화문광장) also known as Gwanghwamun Square) is a public open space on Sejongno , Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It against the background of A Gwanghwamun Gate(Korean: 광화문). In 2009, Restoration of Gwanghwamun Gate made
SECTION 10
#1732771834167612-675: Is a cognate of Italian piazza and French place (which has also been borrowed into English). The term is used across Spanish-speaking territories in Spain and the Americas, as well as in the Philippines . In addition to smaller plazas, the Plaza Mayor (sometimes called in the Americas as Plaza de Armas , "armament square" where troops could be mustered) of each center of administration held three closely related institutions:
663-470: Is a common term for an open area in the heart of the town . In a number of cities, the square has no individual name and is officially designated Central Square , for example Central Square (Tolyatti) . The most famous central square is the monumentally-proportioned Red Square which became a synecdoche for the Soviet Union during the 20th century; nevertheless, the association with "red communism"
714-601: Is known in the Southwestern United States , is a common feature within the boundaries of the former provincial kingdom of Santa Fe de Nuevo México . They are a blend of Hispano and Pueblo design styles, several of which continue to be hubs for cities and towns in New Mexico , including Santa Fe Plaza , Old Town Albuquerque , Acoma Pueblo 's plaza, Taos Downtown Historic District , Mesilla Plaza , Mora , and Las Vegas Plaza . In U.S. English ,
765-483: Is often a well , monument , statue or other feature. Those with fountains are sometimes called fountain squares . The term "town square" (especially via the term "public square") is synonymous with the politics of many cultures, and the names of a certain town squares, such as the Euromaidan or Red Square , have become symbolic of specific political events throughout history. The city centre of Adelaide and
816-569: Is overlooked by various official buildings: legislature to the east (in the Houses of Parliament), governmental executive offices to the north (on Whitehall ), the judiciary to the west (the Supreme Court ), and the church to the south (with Westminster Abbey ). Parliament Square features all of the British flags, the flags of the United Kingdom , its four countries , the county flags and
867-797: Is referred to as The Piazza. In the Low Countries , squares are often called "markets" because of their usage as marketplaces . Most towns and cities in Belgium and the southern part of the Netherlands have in their historical centre a Grote Markt (literally "Big Market") in Dutch or Grand-Place (literally "Grand Square") in French (for example the Grand-Place in Brussels and
918-524: Is used for community gatherings. A square in a city may be called a city square . Related concepts are the civic center , the market square and the village green . Most squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets , concerts , political rallies, and other events that require firm ground. They are not necessarily a true geometric square . Being centrally located, town squares are usually surrounded by small shops such as bakeries, meat markets, cheese stores, and clothing stores. At their center
969-720: The Grote Markt in Antwerp ). The Grote Markt or Grand-Place is often the location of the town hall , hence also the political centre of the town. The Dutch word for square is plein , which is another common name for squares in Dutch-speaking regions (for example Het Plein in The Hague ). In the 17th and 18th centuries, another type of square emerged, the so-called royal square (French: Place royale , Dutch: Koningsplein ). Such squares did not serve as
1020-553: The Indian independence movement leader Mahatma Gandhi is based on a photograph of Gandhi standing outside the offices of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Ramsay MacDonald in 1931. It was unveiled by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 14 March 2015. The statue was dedicated as a commemoration of the centennial of Gandhi's return to India from South Africa , which is generally regarded as
1071-449: The cathedral , the cantabile or administrative center, which might be incorporated in a wing of a governor's palace , and the audiencia or law court. The plaza might be large enough to serve as a military parade ground. At times of crisis or fiestas , it serves as the gathering space for large crowds. Diminutives of plaza include plazuela and the latter's double diminutive plazoleta , which can be occasionally used as
SECTION 20
#17327718341671122-580: The piazze of Italy are central to most towns and cities. Shops, businesses, metro stations, and bus stops are commonly found on piazzas, and in multiple locations also feature Roman Catholic Churches , such as in places known as the Piazza del Duomo , with the most famous perhaps being at Duomo di Milan , or government buildings, such as the Piazza del Quirinale adjacent from the Quirinal Palace of
1173-682: The three flags of the Crown Dependencies and the sixteen heraldic shields of the British Overseas Territories . Buildings looking upon the square include the churches Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's, Westminster , the Middlesex Guildhall which is the seat of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom , Government Offices Great George Street serving HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs , and Portcullis House . Roads that branch off
1224-705: The "Gothic" model of the nearby statues of Derby and Peel. Prime Minister 1852, 1858–1859 and 1866–1868 51°30′03″N 0°07′38″W / 51.5008°N 0.1273°W / 51.5008; -0.1273 ( Earl of Derby ) Derby is represented wearing his robes as Chancellor of Oxford University. The bronze reliefs around the pedestal depicting scenes from his life were executed by Noble's assistant, Horace Montford. Prime Minister 1868 and 1874–1880 51°30′02″N 0°07′38″W / 51.5006°N 0.1273°W / 51.5006; -0.1273 ( Benjamin Disraeli ) The statue
1275-636: The American ambassador and accepted by Prime Minister David Lloyd George . Initially the statue was to be erected in 1914, but this was postponed. By that time some favoured an alternative statue by George Grey Barnard , which was eventually erected in Manchester. President of South Africa 1994–1999 51°30′03″N 0°07′35″W / 51.5008°N 0.1265°W / 51.5008; -0.1265 ( Winston Churchill ) Westminster Council had earlier refused permission for placing
1326-664: The Court of Appeal overturned this ruling, forcing Haw to apply for police authorisation to continue his protest. The square is home to twelve statues of British , Commonwealth , and Anglosphere political figures. They are listed here in anti-clockwise order, beginning with Winston Churchill's statue, which faces Parliament. Prime Minister 1940–1945 and 1951–1955 51°30′03″N 0°07′35″W / 51.5008°N 0.1265°W / 51.5008; -0.1265 ( Winston Churchill ) Unveiled by Clementine, Baroness Spencer-Churchill . Churchill indicated his desire for
1377-773: The Italian president. The Piazza San Marco in Venice and Piazza del Popolo in Rome are among the world's best known. The Italian piazzas historically played a major role in the political developments of Italy in both the Italian Medieval Era and the Italian Renaissance. For example, the Piazza della Signoria in Florence remains synonymous with the return of the Medici from their exile in 1530 as well as
1428-790: The Middle Ages to today. Squares located opposite a Palace or Castle ( German : Schloss ) are commonly named Schlossplatz . Prominent Plätze include the Alexanderplatz , Pariser Platz and Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Heldenplatz in Vienna, and the Königsplatz in Munich. A large open square common in villages, towns and cities of Indonesia is known as alun-alun . It is a Javanese term which in modern-day Indonesia refers to
1479-693: The Palace of Westminster is Westminster Hall , the historic core of the building; the present-day Palace of Westminster was built after a major fire in 1834 destroyed all of the palace except for Westminster Hall, the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft , the Cloisters and Chapter House of St Stephen's , and the Jewel Tower . The palace includes two courtyards, the Old Palace Yard and New Palace Yard ;
1530-491: The Parliament Square are St Margaret Street (towards Millbank ), Broad Sanctuary (towards Victoria Street), Great George Street (towards Birdcage Walk ), Parliament Street (leading into Whitehall ) and Bridge Street (leading onto Westminster Bridge ). Parliament Square was laid out in 1868 in order to open up the space around the Palace of Westminster and improve traffic flow, and featured London's first traffic signals. A substantial amount of property had to be cleared from
1581-650: The Square predated the Second World War as the Ministry of Transport suggested: that a larger central island was necessary to allow traffic more room in Great George Street. If the northern side of the central island were lengthened it was expected that the frequent traffic blocks at the junction of Parliament Street and Bridge Street with Parliament Square would be greatly reduced. Following
Parliament Square - Misplaced Pages Continue
1632-881: The UK as part of urban redevelopment following the Blitz . Squares can also be quite small and resemble courtyards, especially in the City of London . In some cities, especially in New England , the term "square" (as its Spanish equivalent, plaza ) is applied to a commercial area (like Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts ), usually formed around the intersection of three or more streets, and which originally consisted of some open area (many of which have been filled in with traffic islands and other traffic calming features). Many of these intersections are irregular rather than square. The placita (Spanish for "little plaza"), as it
1683-725: The United States, to refer to a verandah or front porch of a house or apartment, such as at George Washington's historic home Mount Vernon . Several countries, especially around the Mediterranean Sea, feature Italian-style town squares. In Gibraltar, one such town square just off Gibraltar 's Main Street , between the Parliament Building and the City Hall officially named John Mackintosh Square
1734-515: The adjacent suburb of North Adelaide , in South Australia, were planned by Colonel William Light in 1837. The city streets were laid out in a grid plan , with the city centre including a central public square, Victoria Square , and four public squares in the centre of each quarter of the city. North Adelaide has two public squares. The city was also designed to be surrounded by park lands , and all of these features still exist today, with
1785-607: The burning at the stake of Savonarola during the Italian Inquisition . The Italian term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza , the French term place, the Portuguese praça, and the German Platz. Not to be confused, other countries use the phrase to refer to an unrelated feature of architectural or urban design, such as the "piazza" at King's Cross station in London or piazza as used by some in
1836-506: The commencement of his efforts for Indian independence. Speakers at the unveiling of the statue included Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron , Indian film star Amitabh Bachchan and Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi . Town square A town square (also a plaza , public square or urban square ) is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town , and which
1887-463: The garden, and has powers to make bylaws for the garden. The east side of the square, lying opposite one of the main entrances to the Palace of Westminster, has historically been a common site of protest against government action or inaction. On May Day 2000 the square was transformed into a giant allotment by a Reclaim the Streets guerrilla gardening action. Most recently, Brian Haw staged
1938-494: The gate's front space as a public plaza. The square has been renovated to modern style has new waterways & rest Areas, exhibition Hall for Excavated Cultural Assets in 2022 Aug. The Spanish-language term for a public square is plaza ( [ˈplasa] or [ˈplaθa] depending on the dialectal variety). It comes from Latin platea , with the meaning of 'broad street' or 'public square'. Ultimately coming from Greek πλατεῖα (ὁδός) plateia (hodos) , it
1989-451: The making of plazas. They can be used to open spaces for low-income neighborhoods, and can also the overall aesthetic of the surrounding area boosting economic vitality, pedestrian mobility and safety for pedestrians. Most plazas are created out of a collaboration between local non-profit applicants and city officials which requires approval from the city. Throughout North America, words like place , square , or plaza frequently appear in
2040-640: The names of commercial developments such as shopping centers and hotels. Parliamentary Estate The Parliamentary Estate is the land and buildings used by the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The most notable part of the Parliamentary Estate is the Palace of Westminster , where the chambers of both houses of Parliament (the Commons and the Lords ) are located. The oldest part of
2091-539: The portrait bust of Canning by Sir Francis Chantrey , who was "not at all pleased with the preference shewn to Mr. Westmacott". President of the United States 1861–1865 51°30′02″N 0°07′40″W / 51.5006°N 0.1278°W / 51.5006; -0.1278 ( Abraham Lincoln ) A recasting of the statue in Lincoln Park , Chicago . This statue was unveiled by Prince Arthur , Duke of Connaught, after being ceremonially presented by
Parliament Square - Misplaced Pages Continue
2142-656: The site of the May Fourth Movement , the Proclamation of the People's Republic of China , the 1976 Tiananmen Incident , the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests , and all Chinese National Day Parades . The German word for square is Platz , which also means "Place", and is a common term for central squares in German-speaking countries. These have been focal points of public life in towns and cities from
2193-411: The site. The architect responsible was Sir Charles Barry . Its original features included the Buxton Memorial Fountain , which was removed in 1949 and placed in its present position in nearby Victoria Tower Gardens in 1957. In 1949, the design for the replanning of the Parliament Square area, Westminster, London was carried out by the architect, George Grey Wornum (1888–1957) The plans to redesign
2244-414: The squares maintained as mostly green spaces. In Mainland China, People's Square is a common designation for the central town square of modern Chinese cities, established as part of urban modernization within the last few decades. These squares are the site of government buildings, museums and other public buildings. One such square, Tiananmen Square , is a famous site in Chinese history due to it being
2295-500: The statue in Trafalgar Square adjacent to South Africa House . The statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the presence of Wendy Woods , the widow of Donald Woods , a late anti-apartheid campaigner, and the British actor, director and long-time friend of Woods, Richard Attenborough . Indian Independence Leader 51°30′02″N 0°07′38″W / 51.50057°N 0.12724°W / 51.50057; -0.12724 ( Mahatma Gandhi ) The statue of
2346-406: The term "maidan" across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including Ukraine, in which the term became well-known globally during the Euromaidan . A piazza ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjattsa] ) is a city square in Italy , Malta , along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. Possibly influenced by the centrality of the Forum (Roman) to ancient Mediterranean culture,
2397-564: The two large open squares of kraton compounds. It is typically located adjacent a mosque or a palace. It is a place for public spectacles, court celebrations and general non-court entertainments. In traditional Persian architecture, town squares are known as maydan or meydan. A maydan is considered one of the essential features in urban planning and they are often adjacent to bazaars, large mosques and other public buildings. Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan and Azadi Square in Tehran are examples of classic and modern squares. Several countries use
2448-475: The war, London County Council submitted a revised plan that was agreed by the Ministry of Transport and legislated for by Parliament with the Parliament Square (Improvements) Act 1949.The Act was required due to the mixed ownership of the land. The redesign included putting new roads, pavement and gardens in the area. As St George Street was widened and an existing road was moved, the Buxton Memorial Fountain had to be removed. Because Victorian style architecture
2499-556: Was commissioned from Carlo Marochetti . This was ready by 1853 but was considered to be far too large. Marochetti produced a smaller work which was placed at the entrance to New Palace Yard; this was removed in 1868 and melted down in 1874. Foreign Secretary 1807–1809 and 1822–1827; Prime Minister 1827 51°30′04″N 0°07′40″W / 51.5010°N 0.1277°W / 51.5010; -0.1277 ( George Canning ) Originally erected in New Palace Yard; in its current location since 1949. The features are based on
2550-414: Was the "shrine" of the Primrose League , a conservative association established in Disraeli's memory, who left wreaths in front of it every year on " Primrose Day ", the anniversary of his death. Prime Minister 1834–1835 and 1841–1846 51°30′02″N 0°07′38″W / 51.5005°N 0.1273°W / 51.5005; -0.1273 ( Sir Robert Peel ) Initially a statue of Peel
2601-477: Was unpopular at the time, some in Parliament argued it should never be re-erected: at least one parliamentarian said it had "no artistic merit whatever" The Act provided that the fountain could be removed, but required its re-erection. The central garden of the square was transferred from the Parliamentary Estate to the control of the Greater London Authority by the Greater London Authority Act 1999 . It has responsibility to light, cleanse, water, pave, and repair
SECTION 50
#1732771834167#166833