Historically, the Civic Building looked out over a large ornamental pool but over 70 years this had fallen on hard times.  Churchman Thornhill Finch’s much awarded design provides a reworking of the frontage plaza, complete with circular fountain field referencing the original pool.  The pool, the largest of its kind in the UK, has 169 independently programmable water jets, each fitted with its own lighting controls, giving an infinitely variable programme of different visual and audible effects.  The bespoke timber furniture, all designed by Churchman Thornhill Finch, provides ample opportunity for dwelling and whiling away hours while toddlers of all ages splash about in the pool.  Unusually the square uses very little granite, most of the stone coming from the Isle of Purbeck and the Jura Mountains. Even the granite setts in the fountain bowl come from Scotland.  Fellowship Square has proved to be massively popular with both local people and the judges of  various national  and  regional  awards  including the  Landscape Institute and the  Civic  Trust,  with whom Fellowship Square secured Churchman Thornhill  Finches  first   ever  national  award, a  very rare achievement indeed  for a  piece of  public realm