Millennium Square, Bristol

The area now occupied by Millennium Square had been a railway yard handling cargo for Bristol Harbour, and in 1906 the Great Western Railway built a goods shed the present We The Curious building pioneering the use of François Hennebique's reinforced concrete system. After the decline of the city docks in the mid-20th century, the derelict became a makeshift surface car park from the 1970s while the future of the site was considered. Regeneration proceeded slowly, and by the mid-1990s the only developments to have been completed were Canons House and Lloyds Amphitheatre, adjoining Millennium Square to the south, and the conversion of some of the quayside transit sheds to hospitality and…

We The Curious, a hands-on science museum, stands to the north in a grade II listed former railway goods shed, behind a reflecting pool that runs the length of the square. The museum's planetarium a 15 metre diameter sphere clad with mirrors designed to appear to float in the pool is a prominent landmark in the northwest corner of the square. Along the east side of the square is a large water sculpture, Aquarena, designed by William Pye, containing fountain walls and terraced cascades, which is often used as a paddling pool on warm days. It is home to a BBC Big Screen, which was installed in 2008 and upgraded in 2020. which has been used to screen sporting events, and state occasions. There…