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City Square, Melbourne, is a pedestrian plaza in the heart of the city, surrounded by Swanston Street, Collins Street, Melbourne, Flinders Lane and the Westin Hotel. Architect Sir Bernard Evans first proposed the idea of a city square in Melbourne in 1961. Initially it was rejected by the Melbourne City Council. It was later accepted in 1966 when Sir Evan once again forwarded the proposal. Today it is one of the major Melbourne tourist attractions. The acceptance of the proposal resulted in acquirement of properties between the Town Hall and St Paul's Cathedral. Prominent buildings were demolished including the famous buildings that dated back to the reign of Queen Victoria. A union ban managed to save the Regent Theatre. Work towards construction of the City Square, Melbourne began in 1968 with the installation of a temporary square at the site. Denton Corker Marshall won the competition to design a permanent square. This design included a giant video screen, restaurants, shops and outdoor cafes. Other features of the design included an amphitheatre, a glazed canopy, reflecting pool, water wall, graffiti wall and cascades. After the completion of the square the Burke and Wills Statue was placed next to the cascade and the area got a cover of sawn bluestone. Once the structure was complete there was a grand opening by Queen Elizabeth II. The Melbourne City Square opened its doors for the general public on 20th May 1980. But the new construction was welcomed with a lot of criticism from people. This was due to the demolition of the buildings that had taken place during the construction of the City Square. Constant criticism and debate resulted in the removal of the "Vault" by Ron Robertson-Swann as the centerpiece of the square. It was then placed in the Batman Park. During the late 1990s the whole structure went through new developments. More than half the square was sold for the construction of the Westin Hotel. The rest of the City Square, Melbourne went through a thorough change between 1997 and 2000. The plan for this new development was simpler than the original design. It included introduction of granite gravel as a contrast to the already existing bluestone paving. John Mockridge Fountain, a water wall and a long linear water feature was added in the new look. To this new formal structure new grassed areas were added to provide a hint of informality. But after so much demolition and criticism associated with the structure, today its importance lies only with the construction of Federation Square, Melbourne, nearby. Nonetheless, the rich heritage of the City Square, Melbourne, ensures that tourists don't give it a miss when they are sightseeing in Melbourne.
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