Holocaust memorial to be built in Westminster

The go-ahead has been given for the construction of a controversial £100m education centre in Westminster, but opponents may launch an appeal.

Holocaust memorial to be built in Westminster

A Holocaust memorial and education centre is to be built in the heart of Westminster at a cost of more than £100m after the government gave its approval following a public inquiry.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed the decision, saying there was “something uniquely powerful about locating a memorial to the Holocaust right next to the centre of the UK’s democracy”.

But many objections to the proposal, including from Westminster city council, local community groups and some Jewish leaders and Holocaust survivors, were raised at the inquiry last year. Save Victoria Tower Gardens, a group that campaigned against the proposal, argued that open space in the area should be protected as a local amenity, and that the need for security would add to congestion. It said it may appeal against the decision.

The memorial scheme was initiated by David Cameron in 2013, and a competition to design it attracted some of the world’s leading architecture and design consortiums. A team led by Sir David Adjaye was chosen to design the project.

The learning centre will showcase the testimonies of 112 Holocaust survivors, recorded specially for the memorial. As well as the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust, the memorial will commemorate the persecution and deaths of Roma, gay and disabled people.

Construction of the memorial is expected to begin next year and be completed by 2025.

Header Image Credit: Photo by MARCIN CZERNIAWSKI on Unsplash

Author

Claire Jenns

Claire Jenns Kickstart Team

English Literature graduate, loves reading, writing and travel.

Recent posts by this author

View more posts by Claire Jenns

0 Comments

Post A Comment

You must be signed in to post a comment. Click here to sign in now

You might also like

British artist Lilise shares self-titled EP

British artist Lilise shares self-titled EP

by Maelle Miller

Read now