A national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II is to be created at London’s St James’s Park in a project with a construction budget of £23-46 million, the UK Government has announced.
The Queen Elizabeth memorial committee, chaired by the late Queen’s former private secretary Lord Janvrin, is working with competition specialists at Malcolm Reading Consultants to identify a team of architects, artists, and engineers interested in designing the project.
The committee is urging creatives interested in designing the masterplan for the Queen Elizabeth II national memorial masterplan design competition to submit a twelve-page expression of interest via the online form.
The first stage of the two-step competition opens today and closes at 14:00 on 20 January 2025. Subsequently, there will be a ten-week design stage for a shortlist of five competitors. No design work is required at stage one.
The committee is seeking a design that is ‘beautiful, inclusive, and sustainable’. The competition brief sets out defining elements including a new bridge over the lake and opportunities for artistic interventions and enhanced landscaping.
Further to this, the committee said that the new memorial will be of ‘outstanding’ design quality and an emotionally powerful place, with celebratory spaces as well as areas to encourage reflection. Integral to the committee’s vision is the intention to place a standalone monument including a figurative representation of the late Queen at the Marlborough Gate entrance.
Post-competition, an artist/sculptor for the figurative element will be appointed by the winning lead designer in consultation and agreement with the Committee, ensuring a strong creative match and an integrated scheme.
The provisional construction budget of £23-46 million, excluding VAT, is required at this stage as a guide for designers to develop their proposals. The final cost will depend on the winning design and will be shared in due course. The committee will judge all submissions against a value for money criteria.
Committee chair Lord Janvrin said, “We want to attract the finest teams of architects, artists, landscape architects, engineers and other specialists to work with us to create an outstanding design for the memorial site. We are looking for teams who thoroughly understand and connect with our ambitions for the project.
“The challenge at the second stage for the finalists will be to evoke memories of Queen Elizabeth II’s outstanding contribution to national life and to tell the story of Her Majesty’s long reign through an original masterplan that is sensitive to the unique setting.
“The memorial must be – simply – a beautiful place, somewhere to visit with family and friends, to enjoy and to reflect on an extraordinary life.”
