New Zealand War Memorial, London

The New Zealand War Memorial

Not to be confused with New Zealand's National War Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand.

The New Zealand War Memorial is a war memorial to the war dead of New Zealand in the First and Second World Wars at Hyde Park Corner in London, at the Piccadilly end of the traffic island surrounding Wellington Arch and is diagonally opposite the Australian War Memorial.^[1]

Design

Designed by architect John Hardwick-Smith and sculptor Paul Dibble, the memorial consists of 16 cross-shaped vertical bronze 'standards' set out in formation on a grassy slope. Each standard is adorned with text, patterns and small sculptures. The budget for the design and construction of the memorial was $3 million.^[2]

The Memorial commemorates the enduring bonds between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and the shared sacrifice of the two countries during times of war. ^[2]

“

We set the memorial in a position where the main pedestrian route runs through the memorial so that visitors will walk amongst the sculptures, encouraging people to stop and explore. Through the words and images, any New Zealander visiting the memorial will recognise home, and British people may learn something of the relationship between our two countries

”

History

In October 2004, 12 design teams were selected from the 68 who submitted expressions of interest. These teams submitted designs for the memorial, and an expert panel, appointed by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, selected the final design. The design was then refined and submitted to Westminster City Council for planning approval. The memorial design is a collaboration between Dibble Art Co and Athfield Architects, led by sculptor Paul Dibble and architect John Hardwick-Smith, with Jon Rennie as the team's London representative.^[2]

The official dedication of the New Zealand Memorial took place on 11 November 2006 (Armistice Day) by Queen Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of New Zealand. In attendance were the New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and other members of the royal family.

Criticism

Richard Shone, editor of The Burlington Magazine has criticised the memorial in an attack on the 'infestation of public space', describing it as “bristlingly unlovely".^[3]

Gallery

• 

  The 2008 Anzac Day dawn service at the New Zealand War Memorial

References

1. ^ New Zealand Memorial in London - NZ Ministry of Culture and Heritage
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Design for NZ Memorial in Hyde Park, London" (Press release). New Zealand Government. 2005. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=24653. Retrieved 2006-07-21. 
3. ^ Time to rein in ‘Frankenstein statues’ that are stalking streets, say art curators. Retrieved 13 February 2008.

Coordinates: 51°30′11″N 0°09′01″W / 51.5031°N 0.1504°W / 51.5031; -0.1504