Sculptor designed the first portrait of King Charles III on the national coinage
Foster & Partners has chosen renowned sculptor Martin Jennings to design the statue of Queen Elizabeth the II which will form the centrepiece of the late monarch’s central London memorial.
Jennings will work with Foster & Partners, which is leading the design of the wider £46m memorial site in St James’s Park, to develop the design of the statue with a final proposal to be put to King Charles III and the prime minister next year.
Norman Foster, executive chairman of Foster & Partners, said: “I am pleased to welcome Martin Jennings to the Queen Elizabeth Memorial team.
“His work has a sensitivity and humanity that align well with the fundamental spirit of the project, and I look forward to working together with Martin and the rest of the team in the coming months.”
Jennings’ work includes the first crowned portrait of King Charles on the national coinage, a celebrated statue of poet and writer John Betjeman in St Pancras station and a bust of the Queen Mother in St Paul’s Cathedral.
He has also crafted statues of Philip Larkin in Hull, Mary Seacole in London’s St Thomas’ Hospital, and the ‘Women of Steel’ in Sheffield.
The sculptor, who was appointed in consultation with the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, which is overseeing the wider memorial project, has been tasked with creating an “enduring national landmark” to commemorate the UK’s longest-reigning monarch.
Robin Janvrin, chair of the committee, said it was felt Jennings had a “very sensitive understanding of the significance of this unique commission”, and had been impressed by the sculptor’s ability to “capture the essence of character” in public works of art.
Jennings added: “I am elated to have been invited to make the sculpture of Queen Elizabeth. She was loved and admired across the globe for her steadfast devotion to duty, borne with grace, decency and restraint.
“The monument must not only reflect the grandeur of its setting but be an object of delight to its countless visitors in years to come. I look forward to working with Foster & Partners and the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee so that we can achieve this together.”
Along with the statue, Foster & Partner’s concept for the national memorial will feature a series of gardens dedicated to the Commonwealth and communities of the UK, figurative sculptures and a new Prince Philip gate.
These spaces will be linked by a network of paths and a new bridge, replacing the existing 1950s Blue Bridge which crosses the park’s lake.
The practice beat four rival proposals designed by high profile architects, including Heatherwick Studio and Wilkinson Eyre, to win the competition in June.
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