The Edinburgh Place complex, which included the City Hall and the Memorial gardens were designed by
British architects
Ron Phillips and
Alan Fitch in 1956 for the most important civic functions of the city. The Star Ferry Pier was completed in 1957. Edinburgh Place was deliberately kept as open space in the overbuilt city, freely accessible to the public, as this was considered an essential contrast to the city bustle. Its openness meant that the square would occasionally be used as a rallying point for small marches and protests within earshot of legislators. For example, in July 1978, 2000 people rallied to demand the re-opening of the defunct Precious Blood Golden Jubilee School. Since October 1987, the
Legislative Council has banned gatherings outside the principal
LegCo building. ==See also==