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Back in May the government revealed a shortlist of designs for the incoming Queen Elizabeth II memorial.
The brief was for architecture firms to create a memorial that was an ‘emotionally powerful place and a space for pause and reflection’, with a budget of up to £46 million.
Now, after a public consultation, the winning architects have been chosen, and preliminary plans for the memorial have been unveiled.
Celebrated architects Foster + Partners, an international studio led by Lord Foster, have been chosen to build the monument for Queen Elizabeth II in St James’ Park, next to Buckingham Palace. The team also includes heritage specialists Purcell, French landscapers Michel Desvigne and post-colonial artist Yinka Shonibare. Foster + Partners are the same people behind the Gherkin and the Reichstag in Berlin.
Key features of the design will include: a silver statue of Elizabeth riding a horse in a newly created public space called Queen Elizabeth II Place by Marlborough Gate; a translucent glass bridge, inspired by the tiara worn by the late Queen on her wedding day; a Prince Philip Gate on Birdcage Walk, with a statue of the Queen and Prince Philip; and an amorphous gold sculpture.
Lord Foster described his design as ‘very light touch’, to reflect how the Queen was as a monarch. He said: ‘The Queen encompassed, historically, periods of significant change, socially and technologically, but it was all very much with a light touch, and that light touch, the feeling should be that if you visit St James's Park and the site in question later, it will still feel very familiar.’
He added: ‘At the heart of our masterplan is a translucent bridge symbolic of Her Majesty as a unifying force, bringing together nations, countries, the Commonwealth, charities and the armed forces.
‘The memorial is gentler, quieter, more contemplative, and an opportunity to rediscover, or perhaps for some to discover, the legacy of Her Majesty.’
The designs are still subject to change. The next step will be to appoint a sculptor and finalise the statue designs.
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