The UK Government has launched an online exhibition of the potential design concepts for the site of the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial in St James’s Park. The five shortlisted teams have provided their concepts for the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, a tribute to the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch.
The memorial will be located in St. James’s Park, an area of historical and constitutional significance, which also has a personal connection to Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, established by the UK Government and Royal Household in 2023 and chaired by the late Queen’s former Private Secretary Lord Janvrin, is overseeing the project. The exhibition launches the Committee’s initiative to ensure that as many people as possible can view and comment on the memorial proposals as they are developed.
“We are delighted to be working with some of the best architects, artists and designers in the world to produce a landmark memorial of outstanding beauty that celebrates and honours the life of Queen Elizabeth II.”
Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, Lord Janvrin
A panel of Committee members will select the winning design concept and work with the team on the final design, which is expected to be unveiled in 2026, in what would have been the late Queen’s centenary year. They will also select an artist, through a separate process, to create a figurative representation of her for the site on The Mall.
Below is a selection of the conceptual images and text from the design teams
Foster + Partners with Yinka Shonibare and Michel Desvigne Paysagiste
Foster + Partners’ proposal honours Queen Elizabeth II’s ability to unite people, communities, and nations. The journey through a tranquil family of Royal gardens is inspired by John Nash’s original romantic landscape, unified by a natural stone tessellated path from the United Kingdom and Commonwealth that meanders to cater to both commuters and visitors.
Images courtesy of Foster + Partners and Malcolm Reading Consultants
Heatherwick Studio with Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup
Bridge of Togetherness
Our design is rooted in the idea of togetherness. A physical expression of what the Queen stood for above all else, which is unity. At its heart will be a new gathering place in the centre of St. James’s Park, experienced as part of a memorial walk, honouring her 70-year reign, with the path expressed as 70 lily pads, each like stepping stones, bearing reflections from voices across the Commonwealth and Realms.
Images courtesy of Heatherwick Studio and Malcolm Reading Consultants
J&L Gibbons with Michael Levine RDI, William Matthews Associates, Structure Workshop and Arup
The Queen was the nation’s bedrock. It is with bedrock that we have created a bridge over soil, tree roots and water. A meandering flow of geology carrying people through an ephemeral choreography of blossoming and colour beneath the high tree canopy. The memorial is an immersive landscape, enriching the heritage of the park, embracing resilience and holding narrative threads of an extraordinary life.
Images courtesy of J&L Gibbons and Malcolm Reading Consultants
Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects, Adam Lowe (Factum Arte) and Structure Workshop
The memorial for Queen Elizabeth II will honour her life and legacy through a landscape of storytelling around objects from the world she lived in. The central composition is formed by an exact cast of an awe-inspiring oak from Windsor Great Park, representing her strength, endurance and the historic place of the monarchy in our constitution.
Images courtesy of Tom Stuart-Smith, Jamie Fobert Architects and Malcolm Reading Consultants
WilkinsonEyre with Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clark, Andy Sturgeon Design, Atelier One and Hilson Moran
Our proposal for the National Memorial to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II draws inspiration from the many threads of her remarkable life and enduring legacy. We envision a thread of pathways and landscapes gently woven through the natural fabric of St James’s Park — its trees, lake, and terrain — creating a contemplative journey that honours her seven decades of service.
Images courtesy of WilkinsonEyre and Malcolm Reading Consultants
The public is encouraged to view the proposed designs and provide feedback. The opportunity to give feedback on the exhibition will close on 19th May at 23:59. The Committee is committed to ensuring a transparent process that is mindful of public opinion.
The announcement of the winning design is expected to be in early summer.
The full proposed design concepts are available to view on the competition organiser’s website at: https://competitions.malcolmreading.com/queenelizabethmemorial/gallery
Cover Image Credits:
Top Left – Foster + Partners with Yinka Shonibare and Michel Desvigne Paysagiste;
Top Middle – Heatherwick Studio with Halima Cassell, MRG Studio, Webb Yates and Arup;
Top Right – J&L Gibbons with Michael Levine RDI, William Matthews Associates, Structure Workshop and Arup;
Bottom Left – Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects, Adam Lowe (Factum Arte) and Structure Workshop.
Bottom Right – WilkinsonEyre with Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clark, Andy Sturgeon Design, Atelier One and Hilson Moran;
Copyright/Credit: images courtesy of the teams and Malcolm Reading Consultants