As the United Kingdom’s largest city center-based shopping complex, Bull Ring & Grand Central attracts audiences from all across the city and the United Kingdom. Located in central Birmingham, thousands of people visit the complex on a daily basis, but the “Bullring Bull” has provided those visitors with something far more profound to experience. In doing so, the shopping complex has become home to a Birmingham landmark that serves as a unique attraction for visitors while also adding to the experience of regular guests.
The Markets and Malls in Bull Ring
The Bullring & Grand Central shopping complex resides on a spot that has been an important space for commerce dating back hundreds of years. The name “Bullring” is tied to an era when an actual “bull ring”, which was used for bull-baiting, was located in the space. Over the centuries, the area developed as a retail market and an essential space for community gatherings.
World War II greatly damaged the infrastructure and buildings that defined the Bull Ring, which spurred the creation of the first Birmingham Bull Ring Centre. Unhappiness with the layout and architecture of that complex compelled a plan to completely redevelop the space, and it became an important part of the Big City Plan, which was a major development plan for the city centre of Birmingham. A new indoor shopping centre, “Bullring” was completed in 2003.
While there are numerous pieces of artwork are located throughout the shopping center, what is officially known as “The Guardian” is by far the most popular. More commonly identified as the Bullring Bull, the tall bronze sculpture of a bull was installed the same year as the shopping center opened and has become a major draw for the entire complex and city.
The Bullring Bull has become a landmark that symbolizes this history but also represents the city in ways that have positively impacted the economy and culture of Birmingham.
One of the World’s Top Public Works of Art
Shopping has become an essential element of modern Birmingham, a reality that can be seen across hundreds of stores at Bullring & Grand Central. The amount and type of merchandise vary greatly, but many of these stores have used the icon of a bull to establish and identity. The Bullring Bull is featured also in maps and guides of the complex, further underscoring the popularity that has allowed it to become a top draw for the complex as well as one of the world’s top public works of art.
This popularity is driven by the direct engagements that audiences can have with the bull. Whether it’s posing on the back of the bull or doing pull-ups off its horns, visitors can engage with the piece in a personal way. That engagement along with the strong and powerful figure of the bull, which was said by the artist to embody everything that Birmingham represents, further underscores the impact it has made.
Like other sculptures that have become symbols of their city, the Bullring Bull is often dressed up to mark special occasions. Whether it’s a holiday, event or a promotion, numerous and notable costumes have been designed for the bull, providing visitors with another reason to engage with the icon.
The unique identity it has created has allowed it to define a presence on social media, where visitors can interact with the Bullring Bull on a whole different level. This engagement has allowed the Bullring Bull to become a symbol of Birmingham that residents and visitors can interact with, signifying how monuments can further define a space and city. This popularity also exposes people to the history of the area and other attractions in the vicinity, which includes St Martin’s Square and the statue of Horatio Nelson.
While the Bullring Bull was not an essential element to the plan that was designed to create over 50,000 new jobs and contribute £2.1 billion to the economy each year, it has become an important symbol of Bull Ring & Grand Central which attracts over 30 million visits a year. All of these elements have factored into it becoming an icon for Birmingham and all of the UK.
A Landmark in Birmingham
Shopping centers all over the world have been struggling to keep audiences coming through the doors, but the ones that have provided visitors with something more to experience and engage with have proven how they can still appeal to residents and visitors. Bullring & Grand Central has enabled this engagement but has gone one step further by creating a landmark for Birmingham that will continue to serve as a draw for visitors and provide residents with an icon that embodies the identity of the city.
