Architects and designers are invited to compete for the design of a lasting tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park.
The UK Government has launched a competition to select a multidisciplinary team to create the masterplan for a national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II. Located in London’s St James’s Park, the project will honour the Queen’s legacy with a site that fosters reflection and celebration.
The competition, organized by the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee and Malcolm Reading Consultants, is open to architect-led teams, with an initial deadline for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) set for 14:00 GMT on 20 January 2025. At this stage, no design submissions are required.
Envisioned as both a contemplative space and a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s life, the memorial will span an area near Marlborough Gate and include enhanced landscaping, artistic interventions, and a new bridge over the park’s lake. A central monument featuring a figurative representation of the late Queen will anchor the design.
The two-stage competition begins with an open call for EOIs, from which five teams will be shortlisted in spring 2025, with each receiving an honorarium of £50,000 for being shortlisted. Finalists will then develop concept masterplans over a ten-week period, with the winning design team will be announced in early summer 2025.
The Government has provisionally allocated a construction budget of £23-46 million (excluding VAT), covering key elements such as the replacement of the Blue Bridge. The memorial is expected to be unveiled in 2026, coinciding with what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday year. The design will require approval from the Prime Minister and the King.
The competition stipulates that design teams be multidisciplinary and fulfil the following roles:
- Creative Lead (Lead Designer)
- Contractual Lead (registered in the UK)
- Architect*
- Artist*
- Landscape Architect
- Planning Consultant
- Heritage Consultant
- Structural and M/E/P Engineer
- Digital Designer (may be integrated above)
- Project Manager
- Cost Consultant
*Potential creative lead
In addition to the core team noted above, a Principal Designer for Construction and Design Management (CDM) Regulations 2015 will need to be appointed for the project.
“We want to attract the finest teams of architects, artists, landscape architects, engineers, and other specialists to create an outstanding design,” remarked committee chair Lord Janvrin, the Queen’s former private secretary. “Finalists will face the challenge of evoking the Queen’s extraordinary contributions while respecting the unique setting of St James’s Park.”
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden emphasised the significance of the project: “This National Memorial will provide a permanent tribute to The Late Queen’s legacy. We want the very best architects and designers to come forward with ideas for this historic project.”
Full competition details, including submission guidelines and conditions, are available at competitions.malcolmreading.com/queenelizabethmemorial.
Source: Architecture Today