A pair of gently curved bridges, a bronze oak tree and a lily pad-inspired walkway are among the standout features of five shortlisted designs for Queen Elizabeth II’s official memorial site in central London.
The national memorial will be built in St. James’s Park, near Buckingham Palace in the heart of the British capital.
The finalists, unveiled Wednesday, include some of the UK’s most prominent architecture firms, including Foster + Partners, which designed London’s City Hall and 30 St. Mary Axe (known as The Gherkin), and Heatherwick Studios, the firm behind New York City’s Vessel structure.
A panel from The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, which was jointly established by the British government and Royal Household, will announce a winning proposal this summer, according to a press release. The memorial is expected to be unveiled in 2026, marking what would have been the late Queen’s centenary.
The design brief asked for “an emotionally powerful place” that celebrates Elizabeth II’s “extraordinary life of service,” while providing the public with a space for reflection.
“She was part of our national identity and helped to define our values, she gave us a sense of continuity through times of great change, she was integral to recognizing achievement and she exemplified service and duty, strengthened by faith and leavened by pragmatism, optimism and humor,” said committee chair Lord Janvrin, the late Queen’s former private secretary, in the press release.