View source for Exchange Square, Manchester

{{Short description|Civic square in Manchester, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox street
| name                    = Exchange Square
| former_names            =
| namesake                = 
| image                   = Exchange Square (geograph 7194949).jpg
| image_size              = 260px
| caption                 = 
| postal_code             = 
| location                = [[Manchester]], England, United Kingdom
| maint                   = [[City of Manchester]]
| map_type                =
| map_caption             = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|53|29|04|N|2|14|35|W}}
| designer                = 
| completion_date         = {{start date and age|1996}}
| north                   =
| south                   =
| west                    = 
| east                    = 
| website                 =
}}

'''Exchange Square''' is a civic square in [[Manchester]], England. The square was created after the [[1996 Manchester bombing]] by the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]]. This reconstruction included the [[structural relocation]] of two pubs to make room for the new [[Marks & Spencer]] store.

Today the square is a major shopping area including branches of high-end department stores [[Selfridges]] and [[Harvey Nichols]], [[New Cathedral Street]], the [[Corn Exchange, Manchester|Corn Exchange]] and an entrance to the [[Manchester Arndale]], one of the [[List of shopping centres in the United Kingdom by size|most-visited shopping centres]] in the United Kingdom.

To the north lies the [[The Printworks (Manchester)|Printworks]] and [[Urbis]], now home to the [[National Football Museum]]. To the west lies [[Shambles Square]] (with [[The Old Wellington Inn]]) and [[Manchester Cathedral]]. To the south is New Cathedral Street and the [[Royal Exchange, Manchester|Royal Exchange]].

==Transport==
{{main|Exchange Square tram stop}}
The square is served by [[Exchange Square tram stop]] on the [[Manchester Metrolink]] network which opened in December 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/new-tram-stop-taking-arndale-10528283|title=New tram stop taking in the Arndale, Printworks, Corn Exchange and Christmas Markets is ready to open|author=Charlotte Cox|date=30 November 2015|work=men|accessdate=6 December 2015}}</ref> The station provides a direct link to [[Oldham Central tram stop|Oldham]], [[Shaw & Crompton tram stop|Shaw & Crompton]] and [[Rochdale Town Centre tram stop|Rochdale]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metrolink.co.uk/tramtimes/Pages/Exchange-Square.aspx|title=Exchange Square|publisher=|accessdate=6 December 2015}}</ref> Construction on the extension started in 2014 and the entire [[Manchester Metrolink#Phase 2CC – Second City Crossing|Second City Crossing]] scheme was opened on 26 February 2017.

==Wheel of Manchester==
{{Main|Wheel of Manchester}}
A transportable [[Ferris wheel]] was first installed at Exchange Square in 2004, known as the [[Wheel of Manchester]]. This was dismantled and a second wheel was erected in May 2007.<ref name="return">{{cite news|title=Big wheel returns to city centre|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6690967.stm|accessdate=5 January 2011|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2007}}</ref> The most recently installed wheel, operated by [[Great City Attractions]], had 42 passenger cars and was {{Convert|60|m}} tall.<ref name="GCA">{{cite web|title=Great City Attractions - The Wheel of Manchester|url=http://www.greatcityattractions.com}}</ref> A {{Convert|91.4|m|adj=on}} wheel was planned for 2008<ref name="return"/> but never constructed. In 2010, [[Manchester City Council]] proposed a {{Convert|120|m|sigfig=3|abbr=on|adj=on}} wheel, to be operated by [[Great City Attractions]], as a replacement for the existing transportable installation, which was installed at [[Piccadilly Gardens]] until 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-11459081|title=Manchester 'monster' wheel plans confirmed|work=BBC News|date=2 October 2010}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Manchester A&S}}

[[Category:1996 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1996]]
[[Category:Squares in Manchester]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Manchester]]


{{GreaterManchester-geo-stub}}