“A Permanent Statement of Our British Values”
Imogen Dalziel
In October 2017, the winning design team of the new UK Holocaust memorial was announced at a special event in London. Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Architects and landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman were selected from a shortlist of 10 finalists by public consultation and the jury of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation. British architect Sir David Adjaye was responsible for the design of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington D.C., and was recently shortlisted for the Canadian national Holocaust memorial.
Adjaye and his winning design team were chosen ahead of teams led by notable artists and architects such as Rachel Whiteread (who designed the Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial in Vienna) and Daniel Libeskind (who created the extension to Berlin’s Jewish Museum).
According to the jury, the winners were chosen for their desire to create ‘a living place, not just a monument to something of the past’ whilst the design proposal matched the competition brief of a visually arresting memorial that remains mindful of its location and context.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised the design and stated “This unique and immersive memorial is not just for Londoners but for the whole UK. It will ensure the horror of the Holocaust are never forgotten and will stand as a powerful reminder to future generations about the fragility of peace."
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis commented that the creation of the memorial and learning centre will ensure “the British people never forget what happened during the Holocaust.”
The Plans and Progress of the New UK Holocaust Memorial
Design of the Memorial. Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects