Five shortlisted design concepts for a national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II have been revealed to the public today.
The memorial will be built in St James's Park in central London, a short walk from Buckingham Palace.
The designs include features such as an statues, decorative paths, flowers representing aspects of the late Queen's rain and lilly pad motifs - in reference to her childhood nickname, Lilibet.
Three of the five proposed designs feature the Queen Elizabeth riding a horse, reflecting her lifelong enthusiasm for equestrianism.
A shortlist of designs for the late Queen's memorial has been published
Getty
The finalist design pitches were made available on Wednesday via a Cabinet Office press release.
Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, Lord Janvrin, said: "Queen Elizabeth II's extraordinary life of service profoundly touched countless individuals, and she was a figure of great respect and admiration.
“Memories of her long reign are still fresh for so many of us, and we need to capture the essence of them for future generations.
"We are delighted to be working with some of the best architects, artists and designers in the world to produce a landmark memorial of outstanding beauty that celebrates and honours the life of Queen Elizabeth II,” he added.
The final decision on the winning design is expected in early summer this year.
Foster + Partners and two other finalists feature equestrian statues of Queen Elizabeth.
Foster + Partners
The first design concept comes from Foster + Partners, working with artist Yinka Shonibare and landscape architect Michel DesvignePaysagiste.
Their proposal features a Commonwealth Garden and a large gold wind sculpture adorned with symbols representing the Queen's reign.
The design incorporates a soundscape and interactive storytelling, using the Queen's own voice.
It includes a sculpture of the late Queen on horseback overlooking the Mall, and a statue of both the Queen and Prince Philip together near Birdcage Walk.
The team has also proposed renaming the Blue Bridge crossing the park to Unity Bridge.
Heatherwick Studio's features a statue of the late Queen protected by a huge lilly structure.
Heatherwick Studio
Heatherwick Studio's postmodernist design features an extravagant gathering place in the centre of St. James's Park with a "memorial walk" made of 70 lily pads, representing the Queen's 70-year reign.
At the centre of their proposed Bridge of Togetherness is a sculpture of the Queen on horseback, protected by a canopy of eight huge sculptural lilies.
The sculpture would be made from limestone, chosen because it will "age with dignity".
The designers described it as "quietly monumental" and "a memorial grown from the landscape, open to people throughout the world from every walk of life".
J&L Gibbons' design uses stone sourced from the four nations of the UK.
J&L Gibbons
J&L Gibbons' design uses stone sourced from the four nations of the UK, creating what they call a "meandering flow of geology".
Their concept includes a cascade of water flowing from the walkway into the lake below, with a sculpture of the Queen on horseback atop a "figurative plinth" of jutting rock.
Tom Stuart's design features an exact metal cast of an oak from Windsor Great Park, representing Elizabeth's "strength and endurance".
The gold, 3D-printed tree sculpture would stand on a plinth in the lake and be lit up at night. It can be viewed from a bridge made from stones from across Britain.
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
The various designs remodel St James' Park's Blue Bridge.
Tom Stuart-Smith
Wilkinson Eyre's design features two walkways winding over the water, one higher and one lower. Their concept includes seven threads representing key themes from the Queen's seven decades on the throne, including faith, values, family, and nature.
A Prince Philip memorial is positioned near Birdcage Walk.
The public is encouraged to view the proposed designs and provide feedback until 19 May at 23:59.
Baroness Amos, a committee member, said: "We want public engagement, we want the public to comment on these proposals, because we want them to feel part of it."
The memorial project has a provisional construction budget of between £23 million and £46 million, excluding VAT.
