Norman Foster’s firm has won the competition to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park in London. The final design will be unveiled in April 2026 to coincide with the centenary of the monarch, who died in 2022 following a reign of over seventy years.

The scheme drawn up by the multidisciplinary team led by Foster + Partners in collaboration with the artist Yinka Shonibare and the landscape designer Michel Desvigne was one of four shortlisted, along with entries from Heatherwick Studio and Wilkinson+Eyre.

The masterplan presents a series of symbolic and landscaping actions: at the center is Unity Bridge, with its glass balustrade informed by Elizabeth II’s wedding tiara. Replacing an existing bridge, it connects two ends of the park through the lake, evoking the “unifying force” of the late queen, as Norman Foster explains.

The complex will have two new entrances: Marlborough Gate, close to Queen Elizabeth II Place, and Prince Philip Gate, leading to Commonwealth Garden. A network of pathways crosses different gardens will feature figurative sculptures and artistic installations.

With this project London pays tribute to one of the most iconic figures if its modern history.