Royal Exchange Square
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Royal Exchange Square is a public square in the City of Glasgow in Scotland. The square is situated at the junction of Queen Street with Ingram Street. It is also easily accessible from Buchanan Street, through two prominent archways on the West side of the square.The square is a landmark that attracts many visitors due to the central building which houses the Gallery of Modern Art, (also known as the 'GoMA') and the humorous Duke of Wellington statue.
Along the sides of the square are lots of open air cafés and restaurants. During winter months, as part of the city's Christmas decorations, The Square is lit up with a large overhead net of lighting between the Gallery of Modern Art and surrounding buildings.
At the Queen Street entrance there is a statue of Duke of Wellington which usually has a traffic cone placed on his head. This was originally a joke by youngsters, but it is now encouraged by the public to leave the cone intact. The statue has become a representation of simple Glaswegian humour and is favoured by many citizens and tourists who have seen it. However, some tourists have conveyed disappointment upon visiting the statue to discover that the cone has been taken down.
Future plans
The building that sits adjacent to the GoMA went under development and refurbishment to accommodate a new retail unit following Borders Group closure. Rumours insinuated that AllSaints and Abercrombie & Fitch both looked into a lease for the building - dividing it into two retail units to accommodate both stores.