Latest news with #TomStuart-Smith
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A New Memorial for Queen Elizabeth II Is Coming to London
A permanent memorial honoring Queen Elizabeth II—Britain's longest-reigning monarch—is officially underway. This month, the British government unveiled the final shortlist of five proposed designs for the landmark monument, set to rise in St. James's Park, near Buckingham Palace in the heart of London. The shortlisted proposals' designs include everything from a stone canopy of lilies by Heatherwick Studio to a cast of a Windsor oak tree by Tom Stuart-Smith, as each aims to translate the Queen's enduring legacy into lasting form. Renderings feature sculpted bridges, equestrian statues (in three of the designs), and immersive soundscapes. The teams in contention include Foster + Partners, Heatherwick Studio, J&L Gibbons, Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects, and WilkinsonEyre. Earlier this month, the U.K. Cabinet Office, which supports the Prime Minister, opened the proposals up to public feedback, inviting citizens to review the concept illustrations online and weigh in on their favorites. In addition to public sentiment, the designs will be judged on criteria like placemaking, visitor experience, and value for money. The winning design team will be chosen by summer 2025 and announced in April 2026, close to what would have been Queen Elizabeth's 100th birthday. A separate search for the sculptor who will work alongside the winner to create a sculptural tribute, is also underway and will conclude later this year. Below are the proposed designs from the five competing firms. Foster + Partners' proposed concept gives a nod to famed British architect John Nash's romantic vision of St. James's Park. Their proposal features a path that winds through community gardens and a 'Unity Bridge" connecting Marlborough Gate, which has a sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II, to Prince Philip Gate, where there is a sculpture of her husband. Along the path, there will be audio installations and inscriptions honoring the Queen's legacy. The U.K.-based firm, overseen by architect Norman Foster, will also bring in a contemporary art piece titled The Wind Sculpture, designed by artist Yinka Shonibare, that celebrates the Queen's love of flowers. Heatherwick Studio's design pays tribute to the Queen's lifelong cause, which was the idea of togetherness. This will be brought to life through a memorial walk with 70 lily pads, symbolic of stepping stones that 'bear reflections from voices across the Commonwealth and Realms,' the proposal read. At the center of the bridge, the studio envisioned a figurative sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II, protected by a canopy of eight sculptural lilies framing her presence. 'Crafted from limestone, the design celebrates materials that age with dignity,' the proposal read. 'Like her legacy, it is quietly monumental.' The proposed memorial designed by J&L Gibbons features a stone bridge composed of stone sourced from the four nations, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. 'It will be crafted, timeless, and versatile,' the proposal read. 'An immersive landscape, enriching the heritage of the park, embracing resilience and holding narrative threads of an extraordinary life.' The bridge's minimalist design highlights wildlife and integrates seamlessly with its surrounding environment. Tom Stuart-Smith's proposed memorial honors Queen Elizabeth II's life and legacy through personal objects. Central to the tribute is the bronze cast of an oak tree from Windsor Great Park, standing on a plinth in the park's lake. Beyond that, a stone bridge will connect to a memorial path made from stones sourced from across Britain. The area will also feature other bronze casts of objects from the Queen's life. WilkinsonEyre's memorial proposal 'draws inspiration from the many threads of her remarkable life and enduring legacy,' the proposal read. This will be demonstrated by a pair of bridges that span the lake, framing views of the park, royal palaces, and London skyline. Just beyond, a thread of pathways and landscapes create a contemplative journey that invites visitors to reflect on the Queen's seven decades of service. You Might Also Like From the Archive: Tour Sarah Jessica Parker's Relaxed Hamptons Retreat 75 Small (But Mighty) Kitchens to Steal Inspiration from Right This Instant
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Garden ‘paradise' under threat from 100-acre solar farm
A garden 'paradise' is under threat from a 100-acre solar farm. Tom Stuart-Smith, the award-winning garden designer, said his family's garden would be at risk if St Albans city and district council approved plans for the Beechtree Junction solar farm less than one mile away. The garden, which has been in his family for four generations, is in Serge Hill, Hertfordshire, and under the plans would be surrounded by 11 fields of solar panels. The company behind the scheme says it will generate enough electricity to power 13,000 homes for 40 years, adding that an electricity substation would also be built about a quarter of a mile from Serge Hill. But Mr Stuart-Smith, 65, described the 'huge' solar farm as a 'short-sighted tragedy'. He said: 'There is one view I have always cherished from somewhere with the delightful name of Ragged Hall Lane. Under the proposal, this view would now be over acres of solar panels.' Exagen, the applicants for the solar farm, has outlined plans on its website to create a wildflower meadow and allow local beekeeping groups to use hives on the site. Bird and bat boxes will also be installed and new hedgerows planted, the company says. Mr Stuart-Smith, who has designed eight gold medal-winning gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show, has lived at Serge Hill since 1990 with his wife, Sue, a psychotherapist. From there, they run a not-for-profit community garden that aims to improve people's mental health and creativity. 'Next year marks 100 years since my grandfather Tom Motion bought Serge Hill. It's hard to imagine what it might be like in another 100 years,' Mr Stuart-Smith told the Times. 'Within a mile we have one planning proposal to remove 40 acres of woodland for a golf course and another to cover about 100 acres with solar panels. 'We all need clean power. Not so sure about golf, but this seems a short-sighted tragedy. The future of open land on the urban fringe has to be as a resource for all. 'I'm not against the proposal in principle, but the current layout shown is completely indiscriminate and inconsiderate.' The land, currently used by walkers and families, is a habitat for white admiral butterflies which Mr Stuart-Smith described as a 'green lung for the people.' 'Many people walk these lanes, they represent a green lung for the people around here and there are remarkable views over open landscape with fields and woods,' he said. The fields put aside are classified as Grade 3 agricultural land, which means they are be less likely to be useful for farmers. But for Mr Stuart-Smith, the plans risk ruining the land. He said the approach needed was the one used to protect one of the favourite pastimes of past Monarchs, when the area around London was preserved as green space for hunting. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
