Foster + Partners reveals final design for "serene and contemplative" Queen Elizabeth II memorial

British studio Foster + Partners has unveiled its final designs for memorial statues and a glass bridge dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II, approved for London‘s St James’s Park.

Working with landscape architect Michel Desvigne Paysagiste, architecture firm Foster + Partners has designed the memorial as a place for reflection and to commemorate the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in 2022 following a 70-year reign.

“The Queen’s reign encompassed periods of significant change, socially and technologically, which she negotiated with incredible composure and stability,” said Foster + Partners founder Norman Foster.

“The memorial reaches across all ages and interests and communicates the common values that Her Majesty promoted,” he continued. “With a serene and contemplative atmosphere, there will be opportunities to rediscover, or perhaps for some to discover, the legacy of Her Majesty.”

Approved by UK prime minister Keir Starmer and Westminster City Council, the memorial will include a bridge with cast-glass balustrades spanning a lake in the Grade I-listed St James’s Park.

Its design draws upon Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara, which Queen Elizabeth II wore on her wedding day.

The memorial will also include a number of sculptures. A standing statue designed by sculptor Martin Jennings will be placed by the park’s Marlborough Gate, depicting Queen Elizabeth II in the early years of her reign.

Elsewhere in the park will be a statue of Prince Philip by Jennings and a bust of Queen Elizabeth II in her later years, designed by sculptor Karen Newman.

An abstract sculpture by artist Yinka Shonibare will pay homage to the Commonwealth, while a compass designed by Foster will point in the directions of the Commonwealth nations.

Gardens and landscaping in the memorial will also be designed in tribute to the Commonwealth and the UK nations.

Foster + Partners was selected to design the memorial last year, and its proposal was developed in consultation with King Charles III and the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee.

Other projects by the studio that have recently been featured on Dezeen include plans to convert a chapel in Oxford into a restaurant and designs for a sculpture garden beside the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The renders are courtesy of Foster + Partners. 

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