Armed Forces Memorial

Themes of ‘sacrifice’ and ‘renewal’ lie at the heart of this proposed Armed Forces Memorial design – themes suggested by its qualities of light and space.

The central focus of the design is a six-metre high elliptical hollow mound, analogous to a Scottish ‘cairn’ or memorial such as the Lion’s Mound at the site of the Battle of Waterloo, set in a context based on the 18th Century British landscape traditions of vista and enclosure. A shallow spiral ramp ascends the mound.

Light enters the central hemispherical space of the mound from an oculus. A sense of awe and scale will come from a beacon which will discharge a column of light – like an eternal flame – up through the same oculus.

Sandstone and slate, annealed glass, bronze and stainless steel are deployed to provide a lasting and fitting tribute. Durability, Beauty, Utility and Ecology are core to this proposal.