Amid fierce competition from top design firms, Foster + Partners have emerged as the chosen firm in the prestigious contest to create the national memorial for Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park, with their design including a tribute to the wedding tiara worn by Elizabeth on her wedding day.
The five finalists were asked to create a masterplan which would not only provide a reflection space for the public but also celebrate and honour the extraordinary life of the late Queen.
The memorial will be next to The Mall.
The memorial will be located in St James Park, which has both a personal connection to the Queen and constitutional significance for royal ceremonies. An area of the park adjacent to the The Mall at Marlborough Gate, an area adjacent to Bird Cage Walk and the replacement of the existing bridge between the two areas will be included. The late Queen would have been able to see this area of the Park, as she went through rooms at the front of Buckingham Palace.
The design will feature sculptures of the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as a new Prince Philip Gate. There will be gardens dedicated to the Commonwealth and communities of the UK, and artistic installations celebrating the nations diversity.
The existing Blue Bridge in the park near Buckingham Palace will be replaced with a cast-glass balustrade that is inspired by Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding tiara – Queen Mary Fringe tiara – which was also worn by Princess Beatrice for her own low-key nuptials in 2020.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, said ‘Queen Elizabeth II was admired around the globe. Foster + Partners’ fantastic design concept will be a beautiful memorial to Her Life and legacy of public service. Situated in the heart of our capital, it will be a space to reflect on and celebrate our longest reigning Monarch for centuries to come’.
During the competition, the committee consulted experts in architecture, heritage, arts, structural engineering, placemaking and accessibility to find the best plan to honour the late Monarch.
Robin Janvrin, Chair of the Committee, said it was not easy picking a winner, however ‘Foster + Partners’ ambitious and thoughtful masterplan will allow us and future generations to appreciate Queen Elizabeth’s life of service as she balanced continuity and change with strong values, common sense and optimism throughout her long reign’.
Statues of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will be a key attraction of the new memorial.Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners said: ‘It is an honour and privilege for our team to be awarded this project. Her Majesty loved history and tradition, so this is reflected in the inspiration of the original design of St James’s Park.’
He added ‘at the heart of our masterplan is a translucent bridge symbolic of Her Majesty as a unifying force, bringing together nations, countries, the Commonwealth, charities and the armed forces’.
‘I knew the Queen on formal occasions but also enjoyed her informality when attending events as a member of the Order of Merit. We have sought to reflect these qualities of the formal and informal in our design, with an appeal across a wide range of ages and interests. To these ends, we have discreetly stretched the boundaries of art and technology with a deliberately gentle intervention.’
Foster added that the ‘design will have the minimum impact on the nature and biodiversity of the park and it will be phased to ensure that the precious route across it will never be closed. At the heart of our masterplan is a translucent bridge symbolic of her majesty as a unifying force, bringing together nations, countries, the Commonwealth, charities and the armed forces’.
Some of Foster + Partners’ previous work includes the Great Court of the British Museum in London and the Gherkin office tower. Foster + Partners will now begin developing the initial concept and work closely with the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee to select a sculptor to design the memorials figurative element. They will announce the sculptor later this year, however illustrations of the main monument so far are of the late Queen on horseback – a nod to her passion for horses.
The final cost has yet to be decided however a budget has been previously said to be between £23m and £43m. The final design will be formally announced in April 2026, alongside a legacy programme to mark what would have been Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday year.
