Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial Masterplan Design Competition: How to enter, opening date, how much it costs

Leading artists, architects, engineers, and landscape designers are invited to participate in a landmark project with a provisional construction budget of up to £46 million, designed to honour the life and legacy of the UK’s longest-reigning monarch.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Where will it be located?

Located in the iconic St James’s Park near Buckingham Palace, the memorial will offer a permanent place for the public to reflect on Her Majesty’s reign and celebrate her contribution to the nation. The memorial will also include enhancements to the park’s Blue Bridge and surrounding areas, weaving together history, art, and nature.

The low arched, functional, concrete pedestrian bridge with sky blue railings spans the park’s lake and offers views across to Buckingham Palace to the west and Horse Guards Parade, Big Ben and the London Eye towards the east. It was constructed in 1957, replacing a 19th century iron suspension bridge, which was built in place of architect John Nash’s Chinese wooden bridge with a central seven storey pagoda in the centre, which once caught fire during royal firework festivities.

The memorial site will be located in the area of the Grade I-listed park adjacent to The Mall at Marlborough Gate. It will include the land surrounding the pathway down to the lake and the Blue Bridge crossing, and has been expanded to include land on the other side and across to Birdcage Walk.

The project will aim to create “an emotionally powerful place”, with celebratory spaces as well as areas to encourage reflection, and a standalone monument including a figurative representation of the late Queen at the Marlborough Gate entrance.

When is the opening date of the competition?

The competition opens on December 12, inviting creative teams to submit an expression of interest online by January 20, 2025. No initial design work is required; instead, submissions will be evaluated based on their alignment with the project’s ambitions. Five finalists will be selected to develop detailed proposals over a 10-week design stage, with the winner announced in the summer of 2025.

The final design will be announced in 2026 to coincide with what would have been Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday year, following approval from the Prime Minister and the King. Interested teams can learn more and submit their entries on the Queen Memorial Masterplan Design Competition website.