Anish Kapoor, Zaha Hadid Architects and Sophie Walker Studio Are the Finalists of UK Holocaust Memorial Competition

Anish Kapoor, Zaha Hadid Architects and Sophie Walker Studio are named as finalists for the UK Holocaust Memorial Competition.

The competition was launched by the Department for Communities and Local Government in 2016, to honour the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution. The winner will be decided this autumn, 2017.

The artist, architecture firm and landscape designer note:
“The concept of our proposal is based on the understanding that a strong simple gesture has a strong visual and cognitive impact. Our proposal for the Holocaust Memorial sits as a strong singularity – an identifiable image – that allows people to focus on the immensity of the message being conveyed. The Grove of Cypress appropriately stands as a sombre witness to these moments within the park symbolising life, growth and hope in the face of adversity. The Learning Centre sits wholly below ground – a simple and humble receptacle to a rich content. The moral purpose of this project raises it beyond that of an established architectural style. The combination of the singular statement of the memorial and the humility of the Learning Centre creates a strong partnership and defines the architectural quality of the proposal.
Meteorites, mountains and stones are often at the centre of places of reflection, especially in the Jewish tradition. They call on the vastness of nature to be a witness to our humanity. A memorial to the Holocaust must be contemplative and silent, such that it evokes our empathy. It must be a promise to future generations that this terrible chapter in human history can never occur again”.