The shortlist is here... one of these five designs will soon appear in St James's Park, to commemorate the late Queen.
We've known for some time that the Royal Park would host a memorial to the late monarch, but its exact form has remained a mystery. Now, for the first time, the design has been narrowed to just five competing entries. These are they:
1. Queen on a horse on a plinth on a rock
This design from JLL Gibbons is one of three to depict the departed sovereign upon a steed. She did like horses, after all. In a rather appealing conceit, the equestrian statue stands on top of a traditional rectangular plinth, which appears to be hewn from the living rock beneath. Classy. As with all five of these plans, the design also includes a new bridge across the lake, not pictured above.
2. Revenge of the Garden Bridge
Thomas Heatherwick, you might recall, was the designer behind the Garden Bridge, Boris Johnson's aborted vanity project over the Thames. Now he's back with this lily-pad-inspired confection, which would span the park's lake, and then some. Cute design, though it does look like a concept level for a Nintendo platformer. If you look closely, you'll see that Her Equestrian Majesty is at the centre of the bridge, sheltering under the giant fungi. It's what she would have wanted.
3. The great golden tree
More arboreal stylings in this effort from Tom Stuart-Smith. The marooned tree on the left is a cast taken from an oak tree in Windsor Great Park, and it is symbolic of the Queen's "strength, endurance and the historic place of the monarchy in our constitution". Not sure we get that last bit. The golden arbor, reminiscent of the Great Tree of Lindon from The Lord of the Rings, will light up at night, and can be viewed from a curving bridge.
4. The new Serpentine
This entry from WilkinsonEyre also lacks a physical Queen. Instead, it takes the form of two sinusoidal bridges, which weave in and out like a dignified Scalextric. Looks very nice, although they've somehow managed to scare off all the waterfowl.
5. The traditional one. Or is it?
Foster + Partners offer us a relatively traditional equestrian statue, albeit in shiny metal rather than the usual dark bronze. This one image is only part of the proposal, however. Behind Her Majesty's back, the walkway would lead over a new span called the Unity Bridge, and on to a statue of Prince Philip. A colourful wind sculpture by Yinka Shonibare would also enliven proceedings. Finally, "the Queen's voice is ever present" via audio recordings along the route, which could be powerful, creepy or naff, depending how it's done.
So, there we go. Five very different proposals. Only one can be chosen. The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee and the Cabinet Office welcome public comment on the five designs. You're encouraged to look at the plans in more detail over on this site.
The winning design will be announced later this year. It's unclear when it would be installed.
