The winning design for a new Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre next to the Houses of Parliament has been unveiled following an international competition.
The new UK national landmark will honour the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust as well as other victims of Nazi persecution including Roma, gay and disabled people.
A team led by Sir David Adjaye won for their design, set in a garden and featuring 23 tall bronze “fins”, with the spaces in between representing the 22 countries where Jewish communities were destroyed during the Holocaust. The memorial’s location next to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster is designed to ask questions about the role of society and its institutions in preventing hatred.
“We wanted to create a living place, not just a monument to something of the past,” said Sir David, speaking on behalf of Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Architects and landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman.
“We wanted to orchestrate an experience that reminds us of the fragility and constant strife for a more equitable world.”
Sir David’s design was chosen from 92 entries and ten finalists by a jury that included Mayor Sadiq Khan, UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid, as well as Holocaust survivors and architecture and design experts.
“This unique and immersive memorial is not just for Londoners, but for the whole UK,” Mayor Sadiq Khan said. “It will ensure the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten and will stand as a powerful reminder to future generations about the fragility of peace.”
The early-stage design will now go for development with Holocaust experts, survivors, Westminster City Council and local residents, among others.