St Peter's Square Collage...

My thumbnail photo is not an instrument of torture but a strange object high above the Manchester Central Library in St Peter's Square, Manchester. My first photo is inside the tram as it is approaching St Peter's Square showing a map similar in layout (but much, much simpler) to the London Underground tube map.  Next is the Central Library itself and above the entrance is a crest which I cannot find anything about just yet.  The ship denoted is of course a full rigged sailing ship (similar to the famous Christian Radich. Next along is the strange golden object with spikes (scary).  Then another strange roofed interconnecting glass object?  Finally two shots of the same tram - if you look closely at the second photo you should see I have managed to get the man in mid air crossing in front of the tram (quite by accident I assure you!).  All in all very strange...