Several statues and a glass bridge Lavish memorial planned for the Queen
A monument to Queen Elizabeth II is to be built in St. James's Park near Buckingham Palace. The well-known British architect Norman Foster was awarded the contract for the design.
24.06.2025, 23:32
SDA
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- A memorial is to be built near Buckingham Palace in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022.
- It is to be designed by the 90-year-old British star architect Norman Foster.
- An equestrian statue, other statues and a glass bridge are part of Foster's plans.
- The architect has clashed with King Charles in the past over differences of opinion in planning processes.
British star architect Norman Foster has been awarded the contract for a memorial to the Queen in London. The 90-year-old is to partially redesign St. James's Park near Buckingham Palace.
This includes an equestrian statue and other statues of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, and her husband Prince Philip, who died the year before. A partially transparent bridge with glass elements will also be part of the ensemble.
Foster wants to retain the Queen's "sensitivity"
The Queen, who died at the age of 96, shaped eras of profound social and technological change, Foster explained his design in an interview with the PA news agency. But she had always shown a very light, careful hand. "And it is precisely this sensitivity that should remain," he said. Visitors to the park and the memorial should find something familiar there, said Foster.
For the glass bridge, he was inspired by a diamond tiara that Elizabeth once wore at her wedding in 1947. The design for the memorial is still subject to changes by the relevant committee.
Norman Foster also designed the iconic "Gherkin" skyscraper in the City of London. In the 1990s, he was responsible for the redesign of the German Reichstag building.
Charles, the architecture critic
Foster was involved in a public feud with the current King Charles. In a letter to a newspaper reader, he accused Charles of using his position to influence planning processes. In the meantime, however, any differences have been resolved and are meaningless, the architect emphasized.
In the past, Charles has intervened in debates about architecture and specific building projects. For example, the current King wrote the script for the documentary "A Vision of Britain", which was broadcast by the BBC in October 1988.
In it, he denounced modern architecture for over 75 minutes - and offended many a British architect. The following year, he launched an all-out attack with his book of the same name (title of the German-language edition: "Die Zukunft unserer Städte"): Concrete bunkers and glass towers were anathema to him.
