Foster & Partners, Heatherwick Studio and Wilkinson Eyre among practices vying for £46m scheme in St James’s Park
The government has unveiled the five design proposals for the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial in St James’s Park in central London.
A public consultation showcasing design concepts by the high-profile scheme’s five shortlisted teams, which include Foster & Partners and Heatherwick Studio, has been launched by the Cabinet Office.
Practices vying for the £46m job also include Wilkinson Eyre and landscape architects Tom Stuart-Smith and J&L Gibbons.
The Cabinet Office has described the permanent memorial, which will cover land either side of the pathway leading to the lake in St James’s Park, as “one of the most significant design projects in recent British history”.
Specific interventions will include the replacement of the 1950s Blue Bridge, a statue of the late Queen designed by a sculptor appointed by the winning team, new landscaping and artistic installations.
Foster & Partners’ concept, designed with Yinka Shonibare and Michel Desvigne Paysagiste, includes a minimalist bridge across the lake, a natural stone path meandering through the park and a “wind sculpture”.
It also includes an equestrian statue of the Queen, a feature seen in many of the proposals including J&L Gibbons, which also includes a gently sloping bridge.
Heatherwick Studios’ design concept has taken a more interventionist approach, including a large bridge over the lake consisting of a ring of circular platforms surrounding a group of tree-like sculptures surrounding an equestrian statue of the late Queen.
Wilkinson Eyre’s proposal features a pair of interweaving bridges, while Tom Stuart-Smith has proposed a life-size cast of an oak tree from Windsor Great Park which would stand on a plinth in the middle of the lake.
The competition is being run by the The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, chaired by the Queen’s former private secretary Robin Janvrin, which is working with Malcolm Reading Consultants.
Janvrin said: “Queen Elizabeth II’s extraordinary life of service profoundly touched countless individuals, and she was a figure of great respect and admiration. Memories of her long reign are still fresh for so many of us and we need to capture the essence of them for future generations.
“In recognition of this, it is only fitting that we invite the public to express their views on these design concepts.
“We are delighted to be working with some of the best architects, artists and designers in the world to produce a landmark memorial of outstanding beauty that celebrates and honours the life of Queen Elizabeth II.”
The winning design will be announced in early summer, with the final design to be unveiled in 2026 to mark what would have been the Queen’s centenary year.
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