UK chooses statues and glass bridge design for Queen Elizabeth memorial, World News
Elizabeth II died at her Scottish castle on Sept 8, 2022, after more than seven decades on the throne. She was 96. Her death provoked days of mourning and tributes from across the country and the world.
St James's Park, which is located opposite Buckingham Palace, was chosen as the best site to pay tribute to her reign, and under the plan announced on Tuesday (June 24) the park will be reshaped, with two new areas of gardens and two new gates.
The committee chose the plans drawn up by Foster + Partners, a firm headed by Norman Foster, one of Britain's most influential architects, who is known for the Gherkin building in London's financial district and the Reichstag dome in Berlin.
Foster, 90, knew Elizabeth personally after she appointed him to the Order of Merit for services to architecture in 1997, and he said his idea was to use the site to narrate her legacy and the extraordinary story of her life.
The new glass bridge is inspired by the tiara she wore at her wedding while the two gates and two gardens reflect the way Elizabeth balanced tradition and modernity, public duty and private faith, and Britain and the Commonwealth, Foster said.
"It's really creating something which is timeless, and reaches across all ages and interests and conveys the values of Her Majesty, which were a mixture of the formal and...delightful informality," he told BBC Radio.
The design will be finalised by April 2026 and the memorial could be completed one to two years after that, Foster said.
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AsiaOne
5 days ago
- AsiaOne
UK chooses statues and glass bridge design for Queen Elizabeth memorial, World News
LONDON - A memorial to honour Queen Elizabeth in London's St James's Park will feature a statue of Britain's longest-reigning monarch on horseback, another of her arm-in-arm with her husband Prince Philip and a glass bridge, the project committee said. Elizabeth II died at her Scottish castle on Sept 8, 2022, after more than seven decades on the throne. She was 96. Her death provoked days of mourning and tributes from across the country and the world. St James's Park, which is located opposite Buckingham Palace, was chosen as the best site to pay tribute to her reign, and under the plan announced on Tuesday (June 24) the park will be reshaped, with two new areas of gardens and two new gates. The committee chose the plans drawn up by Foster + Partners, a firm headed by Norman Foster, one of Britain's most influential architects, who is known for the Gherkin building in London's financial district and the Reichstag dome in Berlin. Foster, 90, knew Elizabeth personally after she appointed him to the Order of Merit for services to architecture in 1997, and he said his idea was to use the site to narrate her legacy and the extraordinary story of her life. The new glass bridge is inspired by the tiara she wore at her wedding while the two gates and two gardens reflect the way Elizabeth balanced tradition and modernity, public duty and private faith, and Britain and the Commonwealth, Foster said. "It's really creating something which is timeless, and reaches across all ages and interests and conveys the values of Her Majesty, which were a mixture of the formal informality," he told BBC Radio. The design will be finalised by April 2026 and the memorial could be completed one to two years after that, Foster said. [[nid:718910]]
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
UK chooses statues and glass bridge design for Queen Elizabeth memorial
A digital illustration shows a new bridge design, inspired by Queen Elizabeth II's wedding tiara, by Foster + Partners led by British architect Lord Norman Foster, which has been selected as one of the winning entries for the national memorial in St James's Park in London, Britain, in this undated handout picture. Foster + Partners/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES A digital illustration shows a statue of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on horseback, by Foster + Partners led by British architect Lord Norman Foster, which has been selected as one of the winning entries for the national memorial in St James's Park in London, Britain, in this undated handout picture. Foster + Partners/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. A digital illustration shows a new bridge design, inspired by Queen Elizabeth II's wedding tiara, by Foster + Partners led by British architect Lord Norman Foster, which has been selected as one of the winning entries for the national memorial in St James's Park in London, Britain, in this undated handout picture. Foster + Partners/Handout via REUTERS A digital illustration shows a statue of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on horseback, by Foster + Partners led by British architect Lord Norman Foster, which has been selected as one of the winning entries for the national memorial in St James's Park in London, Britain, in this undated handout picture. Foster + Partners/Handout via REUTERS A digital illustration shows a statue of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, by Foster + Partners led by British architect Lord Norman Foster, which has been selected as one of the winning entries for the national memorial in St James's Park in London, Britain, in this undated handout picture. Foster + Partners/Handout via REUTERS LONDON - A memorial to honour Queen Elizabeth in London's St James's Park will feature a statue of Britain's longest-reigning monarch on horseback, another of her arm-in-arm with her husband Prince Philip and a glass bridge, the project committee said. Elizabeth II died at her Scottish castle on September 8, 2022, after more than seven decades on the throne. She was 96. Her death provoked days of mourning and tributes from across the country and the world. St James's Park, which is located opposite Buckingham Palace, was chosen as the best site to pay tribute to her reign, and under the plan announced on Tuesday the park will be reshaped, with two new areas of gardens and two new gates. The committee chose the plans drawn up by Foster + Partners, a firm headed by Norman Foster, one of Britain's most influential architects, who is known for the Gherkin building in London's financial district and the Reichstag dome in Berlin. Foster, 90, knew Elizabeth personally after she appointed him to the Order of Merit for services to architecture in 1997, and he said his idea was to use the site to narrate her legacy and the extraordinary story of her life. The new glass bridge is inspired by the tiara she wore at her wedding while the two gates and two gardens reflect the way Elizabeth balanced tradition and modernity, public duty and private faith, and Britain and the Commonwealth, Foster said. "It's really creating something which is timeless, and reaches across all ages and interests and conveys the values of Her Majesty, which were a mixture of the formal informality," he told BBC Radio. The design will be finalised by April 2026 and the memorial could be completed one to two years after that, Foster said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
14-06-2025
- Straits Times
Tweed's youthful makeover resurrects symbol of Scottish heritage
Harris Tweed stoles displayed at the Isle of Harris Tweed shop in Tarbert, Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides, northern Scotland in April. PHOTO: AFP Isle of Scalpay, United Kingdom – 'When you see tweed on the runway, you don't expect it to come from here,' jokes former banker Alexander MacLeod as he sets up his loom in a converted barn on the shores of a Scottish loch. Mr MacLeod, 38, became a weaver two years ago, joining residents on the islands of Lewis and Harris, off Scotland's north-west coast, in helping to rejuvenate the tweed industry after a significant period of decline. 'It's a good thing to keep the tradition going,' he says. Tweed is a symbol of Scottish heritage and has 'always been part of the culture' on the Outer Hebrides, adds Mr MacLeod, who hails from the island of Scalpay, which is connected to Harris by a bridge. It is now 'an attractive sector to be in', he says. Tweed weaver Alexander MacLeod on his loom in his atelier at his home on the Isle of Scalpay in the Outer Hebrides, northern Scotland. PHOTO: AFP He left the Hebrides for seven years to work in banking, but the pull of his roots proved too strong. Now, during the day, Mr MacLeod works for a small local cosmetics company. In the evening, he puts on a podcast, usually about espionage, and patiently begins to weave. Only the steady hum of his machine disturbs the calm of the old stone barn. Harris tweed, traditionally made from 100 per cent wool, is the only fabric protected by a 1993 Act of Parliament. It must be 'handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides'. Blackface sheep and lambs, whose wool is used in Harris Tweed production, at the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. Harris Tweed, traditionally made from 100 per cent wool, is the only fabric protected by a 1993 Act of Parliament. PHOTO: AFP The weaver speaks of his 'satisfaction' once the tweed is finished. The fabric, once associated with the British aristocracy, then goes to the spinning mill for a quality control check, where the slightest flaw is flagged. Finally, it receives the precious 'Harris Tweed' stamp – a globe topped with a cross – certifying the fabric's provenance and authenticity, issued by the Harris Tweed Authority (HTA). The tweed then leaves the island to be purchased by discerning companies abroad, including luxury brands such as Christian Dior, Chanel and Gucci. Several sneaker brands such as Nike, New Balance and Converse have also used it for limited-edition products. A weaving loom at work at the atelier of weaver Alexander MacLeod. PHOTO: AFP The traditional staples are jackets, caps and bags, but the fabric can also be used for furniture. There are 140 weavers, according to the HTA, which launched a recruitment campaign in 2023 and offered workshops to learn the trade following a wave of retirements. This know-how, often passed down from generation to generation, is now being nurtured by a different profile of weaver. Harris Tweed Authority's operations director Kelly MacDonald behind a weaving loom at her office in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, northern Scotland. PHOTO: AFP 'It's nice to see younger people coming in,' says Ms Kelly MacDonald, director of operations at the HTA. 'When I joined the industry 22 years ago, there was a severe period of decline. I was wondering, 'Is there going to be an industry any more?'' But the industry is now enjoying a resurgence and significant growth, with more than 580,000m of tweed produced in 2024. 'We are always looking at new markets,' she says, and tweed is now exported to South Korea, Japan, Germany and France, among other countries. It is no longer dependent on the American market, as it once was, and should be largely shielded from the tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump. A staff member at Carloway Mill processing and preparing the wool for the weaving of Harris Tweed in Carloway on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, northern Scotland. PHOTO: AFP Tweed has 'modernised', says Mr Cameron MacArthur, who works at Carloway Mill, one of the three spinning mills in the west of the Isle of Lewis. He is only 29, but has already worked there for 12 years. The mill, with its large machines, looks as if it has not changed for decades. But Mr MacArthur has seen it evolve to embrace a younger workforce and newer fabrics, meaning it is no longer just the ultra-classic Prince of Wales chequered pattern or dark colours that are on offer. Harris Tweed stoles displayed at the Isle of Harris Tweed shop in Tarbert, Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides, northern Scotland. The fabric has modernised, and no longer features just the ultra-classic Prince of Wales chequered pattern or dark colours. PHOTO: AFP Coloured wool used for Harris Tweed at Carloway Mill. PHOTO: AFP 'Nowadays, we're allowed to make up our own colours... and we're just doing different things with it, modernising it, making it brighter,' he says, showing off rolls of turquoise blue and fuchsia pink. 'We're so busy... it never used to be like that,' he says, adding that he is 'proud' to be working with the local product. The 'Harris Tweed' stamp – a globe topped with a cross – that certifies the fabric's provenance and authenticity, issued by the Harris Tweed Authority. PHOTO: AFP Ms MacDonald says tweed is an antidote to environment-unfriendly 'fast fashion'. 'How nice to own a product where you can actually look on a map to a tiny island and say, 'That's where my jacket was made.' That's so rare now, and I think people really engaged with that. 'Every stage of the production has to happen here, but from start to finish, it is a really long process. We are the epitome of slow fashion.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
