Working closely with the bereaved families of the victims killed by the 7 July, 2005 bombings, we designed a permanent memorial to commemorate the worst terrorist attacks in peacetime London.
Located in Hyde Park, the memorial’s setting on a new park path provides a place for quiet contemplation within one of the largest public places in London. The singular and collective loss inflicted by the bombings has informed the character of the memorial. Fifty-two 850kg stainless-steel cast vertical pillars (or stelae), each representing one of the 52 lives lost, are arranged in an open pattern of four interlinked clusters representing the four locations of the bombs.
Each stelae is characterised by the unique marks in its surfaces caused by the open-cast process, as well as an inscription carried at eye-level describing the date, exact timing and location of each life lost. Visitors are encouraged to walk amongst the stelae and ponder their meaning. A plaque is located on a berm at the end of the path and records the names of each victim.
Through the language of abstract architecture, the memorial is intended to be a symbol of reconciliation for the families, as well as a permanent reminder for generations to come of the devastating effects of the bombings.
Team:
Client: The bereaved families group, The Royal Parks and Department of Culture Media & Sport
Landscape Architect: Colvin and Moggridge
Artistic Advisor: Antony Gormley
Structural Engineering: ARUP
Typography: Phil Baines
