Golden Square
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Golden Square, in
Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...
, the
City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in Greater London, England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It contains a large par ...
, London, is a mainly hardscaped
garden square A garden square is a type of communal garden in an urban area wholly or substantially surrounded by buildings; commonly, it continues to be applied to public and private parks formed after such a garden becomes accessible to the public at large. ...
planted with a few mature trees and raised borders in
Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...
flanked by classical office buildings. Its four approach ways are north and south but it is centred 125 metres east of
Regent Street Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George IV of the United Kingdom, George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash (architect), J ...
and double that NNE of
Piccadilly Circus Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End of London, West End in the City of Westminster. It was built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with Piccadilly. In this context, a ''List of road junctions in the Unite ...
. A small block south is retail/leisure street Brewer Street. The square and its buildings have featured in many works of literature and host many media, advertising and public relations companies that characterise its neighbourhood within Soho.


History

Originally the site of a plague pit, this west London square was brought into being from the 1670s onwards. The square was possibly laid down by Sir
Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...
; the plan bears Wren's signature, but the patent does not state whether it was submitted by the petitioners or whether it originated in Wren's office. It very rapidly became the political and ambassadorial district of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, housing the Portuguese embassy among others. The town house of the first Viscount Bolingbroke, much favoured by Queen Anne, graced the square. The statue of George II sculpted by John Nost in 1724 came from Cannons House in March 1753. William Pitt the Elder was born in the Square in 1708. Confusion surrounds whether the statue represents King George II of Great Britain, or King Charles II, as noted on the signage in Golden Square.
Oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...
recounts that the statue was accidentally won at auction, when the winning bidder raised his hand to greet a friend; the purchase price so low that he decided not to contest and gave the statue as a gift to the people of Golden Square.


Listed buildings

*Of №s 33 to 39 consecutive forming the north (today three terraced buildings): internally merged №s 34 to 36 (all known as №36) is a
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
in the mainstream, starting category. *Of №s 1 to 12 consecutive forming the east: № 11 is listed, at Grade II* *Of №s 13 to 19 consecutive forming the south: № 19 is listed, at Grade II, the mainstream category *Of №s 20 to 31 consecutive forming the west: №s 20, 21, 23, and 24 are listed, at Grade II. Numbering and traffic proceed clockwise.


In film, fiction and the media

*The square is the setting of the third part of
Neal Stephenson Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work explores mathemati ...
's Baroque Cycle, ''The System of the World''. *A key scene in '' A Handful of Dust'', by
Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...
, takes place in a nightclub in the fictional ''Sink Street'', off Golden Square. *'' Confessions Of An English Opium Eater'' by Thomas De Quincey sees the protagonist part from the square and for the last time from Anne, the prostitute with whom he falls in love. *A verbal tradition was seized upon for the Hulu series '' Harlots'' to host the home and business of fictional "bawd" (brothel keeper) Lydia Quigley; the square itself was not used for filming. Multiple characters utter the square's name as a
metonym Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something associated with that thing or concept. For example, the word "wikt:suit, suit" may refer to a person from groups commonly wearing business attire, such ...
to refer to her business. *
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
' works ''
David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...
'' and '' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. In the latter it is the square where Ralph Nickleby lives in a spacious house and has his "establishment":
Although a few members of the graver professions live about Golden Square, it is not exactly in anybody's way to or from anywhere. It is one of the squares that have been; a quarter of the town that has gone down in the world, and taken to letting lodgings. Many of its first and second floors are let, furnished, to single gentlemen; and it takes boarders besides. It is a great resort of foreigners. The dark-complexioned men who wear large rings, and heavy watch-guards, and bushy whiskers, and who congregate under the Opera Colonnade, and about the box-office in the season, between four and five in the afternoon, when they give away the orders,—all live in Golden Square, or within a street of it. Two or three violins and a wind instrument from the Opera band reside within its precincts. Its boarding-houses are musical, and the notes of pianos and harps float in the evening time round the head of the mournful statue, the guardian genius of a little wilderness of shrubs, in the centre of the square. On a summer's night, windows are thrown open, and groups of swarthy moustached men are seen by the passer-by, lounging at the casements, and smoking fearfully. Sounds of gruff voices practising vocal music invade the evening's silence; and the fumes of choice tobacco scent the air. There, snuff and cigars, and German pipes and flutes, and violins and violoncellos, divide the supremacy between them. It is the region of song and smoke. Street bands are on their mettle in Golden Square; and itinerant glee-singers quaver involuntarily as they raise their voices within its boundaries.


Notable residents

*Actress Frances Alsop moved to the square in 1803. *Singer Caterina Gabrielli lived at the square from 1775 to 1776. *Architect and builder (and later Lord Provost) William Leslie of Nethermuir had offices at 8 Golden Square from 1850. *Artist Prince Hoare lived at number 16 after 1781.''Survey of London: Vol. 31 and 32'', St. James Westminster, Part 2, ed. F.H.W. Sheppard (London, 1963). *Artist
Angelica Kauffmann Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann ( ; 30 October 1741 – 5 November 1807), usually known in English as Angelica Kauffman, was a Swiss Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Remembered primarily as a history painter, ...
lived at number 16 from 1767 to 1781. In 1768, she became one of two female founding members of the
Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...
in London. * Portuguese statesman the Marquess of Pombal lived at number 24 from 1739 to 1744. *Singer Anastasia Robinson lived at number 35 in 1710. *Artist
Martin Archer Shee Sir Martin Archer Shee (23 December 1769 – 13 August 1850) was an Irish portrait painter. He also served as the president of the Royal Academy. Early life He was born in Dublin, of an old Irish Roman Catholic family, the son of Martin Shee ...
lived at number 13 from 1796 to 1798. Shee became president of the Royal Academy in 1830. *American statesman and president,
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
, stayed in Golden Square from March 12 to April 26, 1786 in his only visit to London. *
Ordnance Survey The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see Artillery, ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of ...
cartographer James Gardner moved to number 33 Brewer Street upon his semi-retirement in 1840."James Gardner 1808-1840"
David L Walker, ''Sheetlines'', 101 (December 2014), pp31-38
*Ada von Dantzig worked in the painting conservation studio of conservator Helmut Ruhemann in 1940s and their workplace was marked by the first London (and British)
Stolperstein A (; plural ) is a concrete cube bearing a brass plate inscribed with the name and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination or persecution. Literal translation, Literally, it means 'stumbling stone' and metaphorically 'stumbling block'. ...
stone in 2022.


Current residents

* Phonographic Performance Limited is based at No 1. Virgin Radio was based there at its launch in 1993 and (as Absolute Radio) from 2008. After its acquisition of Absolute in 2013 Bauer Radio consolidated its regional holdings there, including Planet Rock. They closed the studios in April 2024. *Monmouth Dean occupies an office on the eighth floor of №4. *The financial analytics fir
Risk Control
is located at №8. * Digital Cinema Media (DCM) and the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) simultaneously occupied №12. Most of the cinema advertising in Britain was controlled from this building, until December 2013 to move to a building in Regent's Place. *Both Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd have key premises at №25. *The headquarters of Clear Channel UK, and Clear Channel International occupy №33. *The global head- and London offices of M & C Saatchi Group and its subsidiary companies, including M&C Saatchi, M&C Saatchi Performance,M&C Saatchi Performance
/ref> M&C Saatchi Export, LIDA, Clear, TALK PR, Play*, Studio 36, and 5th Element occupy №36 (formerly known as 34 to 36).


References


External links

*{{cite book , editor-last=Sheppard, editor-first=FHW, title=Survey of London: Volumes 31 and 32, St James Westminster, Part 2, url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols31-2/pt2/pp138-145, publisher=
London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...
, pages=138–145, date=1963, isbn=978-0485482317, access-date=29 March 2015 Squares in the City of Westminster Soho, London