Piccadilly Circus is a busy square in the heart of London. It is famous
for the fountain that was installed here at the end of the nineteenth
century and for the neon advertising that turned the square into a
miniature version of Times Square.
Piccadilly Circus
The Circus lies at the intersection of five main roads: Regent Street,
Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly Street, Covent Street and Haymarket. It
was created by John Nash as part of the future King George IV's plan to
connect Carlton House - where the Prince Regent resided - with Regent's Park.
Billboards
The creation of Shaftesbury Avenue in 1885 turned the plaza into a busy
traffic junction. This made Piccadilly Circus attractive for
advertisers, who installed London's first illuminated billboards here in
1895. For some time the plaza was surrounded by billboards, creating
London's version of Times Square, but currently only one building still carries large (mostly electronic) displays.
Eros statue
Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain
At the center of the Circus stands the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain. It
was built in 1893 to commemorate Lord Shaftesbury, a philanthropist
known for his support of the poor.
The seminude statue on top of the fountain depicts the Angel of Christian Charity but was later renamed Eros after the Greek god of love and beauty. The fountain was made in bronze, but the statue is made of aluminum, at the time a novel and rare material.
The seminude statue on top of the fountain depicts the Angel of Christian Charity but was later renamed Eros after the Greek god of love and beauty. The fountain was made in bronze, but the statue is made of aluminum, at the time a novel and rare material.
Piccadilly
The name 'Piccadilly' originates from a seventeenth-century frilled collar
named
piccadil. Roger Baker, a tailor who became rich making piccadils lived
in the area. The word 'Circus' refers to the roundabout
around which the traffic circulated.
The Circus at night
Piccadilly Circus Today
Piccadilly Circus is now partly pedestrianized and a favorite place for
people to congregate before going to the nearby shopping and
entertainment areas. Soho, Chinatown, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square are all within walking distance.
No comments:
Post a Comment