Winning Design For London's Holocaust Memorial Revealed

Harry Rosehill
By Harry Rosehill Last edited 77 months ago

Looks like this article is a bit old. Be aware that information may have changed since it was published.

Winning Design For London's Holocaust Memorial Revealed
The winning design

The winning design for the UK's Holocaust memorial has been announced. The design comes from British architect David Adjaye, beating off nine other entries from major architects.

The memorial will serve a dual function. It is more than just a sculpture to remind people of the past as the naked eye suggests; it contains a subterranean learning centre.

The memorial honours the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust, as well as all other victims of Nazi persecution: gay people, Roma and the disabled.

The learning centre aims to contextualise the Holocaust in today's society to explore current anti-semitism, Islamophobia, racism and other forms of hatred.

The winning design was selected by a panel of 13 jurors including Sadiq Khan; the UK's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mervis; V&A director Tristram Hunt and Holocaust survivor Ben Helfgott.

The proposed inside of the centre

Jury member Sir Peter Bazalgette said:

The jury was unanimous in awarding this competition to Sir David Adjaye and his highly skilled and passionate team. Their ability to use architecture to create an emotionally powerful experience, their understanding of the complexity of the Holocaust and their desire to create a living place as well as a respectful memorial to the past and its surroundings, will combine to create a new national landmark for generations to come.

Sir David Adjaye said:

The complexity of the Holocaust story, including the British context, is a series of layers that have become hidden by time. Our approach to the project has been to reveal these layers and not let them remain buried under history. To do so, we wanted to create a living place, not just a monument to something of the past. We wanted to orchestrate an experience that reminds us of the fragility and constant strife for a more equitable world.

Last Updated 24 October 2017