Shortlist for Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Announced
The UK government has announced the teams on the shortlist in the two-stage competition for the design of a national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, to be located in London's St. James Park, just steps from The Mall, the ceremonial route to Buckingham Palace.
What would a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign lasted seventy years, entail? To the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, it must celebrate her “extraordinary life of service” but also provide “a space for pause and reflection.” These intangibles will be judged according to criteria that include value for money, placemaking, and visitor experience, all per today's announcement of the five finalists.
In the first phase of the competition, entrants were required to submit examples of previous projects relevant to the vision for the memorial and details on the unique skills of each team member. While the first stage was open to teams outside of the UK, all five of the finalists are led by designers based in or near London:
- Foster + Partners with Yinka Shonibare and Michel Desvigne Paysagiste
- Heatherwick Studio with Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup
- J&L Gibbons with Michael Levine RDI, William Matthews Associates, Structure Workshop and Arup
- Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects, Adam Lowe (Factum Arte) and Structure Workshop
- WilkinsonEyre with Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clark, Andy Sturgeon Design, Atelier One and Hilson Moran
Next, the shortlisted teams will submit their design concepts in the spring, the selection panel will review them, and then a winner will be announced in the summer. A figural representation of Queen Elizabeth is mandated as part of the memorial, meaning the winner will be paired with an artist following the panel's selection. Following refinement, the final design will be revealed to the public in April 2026, coinciding with what would have been Queen Elizabeth's 100th birthday.