Press release: New Holocaust Memorial design revealed

Revised designs for the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre have today (1 May 2019) been unveiled, the Communities Secretary, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP confirmed.

This follows comprehensive consultation and discussion with local residents, Holocaust experts, survivors and other victim groups, Westminster city council, Historic England, Royal Parks and statutory consultees.

The revised plans drawn up by architects Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Architects and Gustafson Porter + Bowman feature:

• a revised design for the entrance pavilion
• revised design for the entrance courtyard and surrounding landscaping
• reduced basement footprint

Communities Secretary, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

Over 70 years on, the Holocaust and the lessons it teaches about society and its institutions continues to shape us.

I’m proud to be leading a programme that will provide a national space of remembrance and education in the UK, right next to our Parliament.

Having the Memorial adjacent to Parliament will provide a permanent reminder to political leaders and policy makers of the continued need for vigilance in challenging bigotry, division and hatred wherever and whenever it may occur.

The Memorial will stand as a reminder of the horrors of the past and will encourage reflection on their implications for British government and society, both at the time and subsequently.

We are clear that this is the right place for such a Memorial. The striking revised designs follow comprehensive consultation and discussion with local residents, Holocaust experts and survivors and in addition we are taking a wide range of measures, to preserve and enhance the local park and ensure that it remains fully accessible to the public.

The United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial is dedicated to the 6 million Jewish men, women and children murdered in the Holocaust and all other victims of the Nazis and their collaborators.

It will honour and remember all victims and survivors of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides and educate future generations on the importance of fighting prejudice and persecution in all its forms.

The designs were first unveiled in October 2017 and have since undergone further development through discussion with Holocaust experts, survivors and other victim groups, and local residents, Westminster City Council, Historic England, Royal Parks and other statutory consultees. The United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Foundation has also worked closely with other organisations and experts on the contents and approach of the co-located Learning Centre.

The proposals have been developed with great sensitivity to the existing context and character of Victoria Gardens. The vast majority of the park’s green space will be retained and enhanced and views over Parliament and the river Thames will be improved with a range of accessible seating and a new boardwalk along the embankment.

After an international competition, with 92 entries in total and 10 finalists, Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Architects and Gustafson Porter + Bowman were selected unanimously as the winning team, by a jury including the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Mayor of London, the Chief Rabbi, experts from architecture, art and design, and both first and second-generation Holocaust survivors. The announcement was made on 24 October 2017.