To honour the millions who died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust, a memorial will be built at the Victoria Tower Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.
With the expected to be completed by 2021, the new landmark aims to be “a living place, not just a monument to something of the past”, offering visitors an “immersive journey” and “sensory experience” throughout the site.
The memorial will have a series of 23 imposing bronze fin structures. The spaces between each of the structures will symbolise the 22 countries where Jewish communities were destroyed during the Holocaust. However, the entire memorial will have a modern, minimalist feel.
Along the pathway, the visitors can expect various experiences between the fins before the walks culminate at a cavernous main hall (known as the Threshold), intended to be a place for contemplation before moving into the adjoining Learning Centre in the level below ground.
Interestingly, the memorial will have a magnificent viewpoint of River Thames.
The ambitious project is the collaborative work of three architectural firms including that of Britain’s Sir David Adjaye (who designed the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington DC – the only museum in America dedicated to African American art, history and culture – which opened last year), as well as London-based Israeli architect Ron Arad (the brains behind the striking Design Museum Holon – Israel’s only museum dedicated to design art) and London-based firm Gustafson Porter + Bowman.
After extensive research about the venue, Victoria Park Gardens was chosen as the location given its connection to the existing Emmeline Pankhurst, the Burghers of Calais and the Buxton Memorial.
