London Memorial
Standing at Hyde Park Corner in central London, the New Zealand Memorial commemorates the enduring bonds between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and our shared sacrifice during times of war.
Designed by architect John Hardwick-Smith and sculptor Paul Dibble, the ‘Southern Stand’ memorial consists of 16 cross-shaped vertical bronze 'standards' set out in formation on a grassy slope. The standards were made to stand in semi-grid formation, calling to mind soldiers in procession.
The standards, which weigh around 700kg each, were created at the Dibble Art Co in Palmerston North before being shipped to London.
Prior to installation, concrete foundations were formed for each of the 16 standards, and British slate surrounds put in place. In addition, the lighting wiring and sensors for the illuminated standards were installed within the foundations.
The bronzes were then lifted into position by crane and bolted to the foundations. Once all of them were in position and all the lighting was connected, the path and turf around the sculptures was established.
The Building Intelligence Group’s role was as the New Zealand based project manager. Initially we were involved in assessing all the designs submitted to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage for build ability and cost, then managed the regulatory and contractual agreements.
We had a lot to learn about the requirements of UK regulatory processes and planning requirements, particularly for such a significant site. We worked through it all step by step until we had a clear understanding and, together with the team in London, made sure everything was properly in place.
Trying to manage the project by remote control from the other side of the world was also very challenging. Our project manager would speak to people in London at midnight, before they had a meeting, then would be woken up a few hours later for a debrief.
Despite the logistical challenges, everything ran smoothly, thanks to the dedication of all involved. The project culminated in an unveiling ceremony on Armistice Day 2006, attended by more than 2000 people, including the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Winner of BeST Design Gold and Spatial Stringer Awards 2007 - read more
