UK Holocaust War Memorial & Learning Centre
New Project
Artist’s impression of the proposed Holocaust memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens. Photograph: UK Holocaust Memorial/PA
We are delighted to announce that Greenway Associates has been appointed as the Cost Manager & Contract Administrator for exhibition work and content delivery for the UK Holocaust Memorial & Learning Centre. Greenway Associates have been working on cultural & experiential projects for over 25+ years.
Jared Mensah will be leading our team on this project.
“The Holocaust is a well-documented event in history and its story has been told around the world on many cultural platforms. Greenway Associates have had the opportunity of being involved with some past projects on this subject. However, UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre (UKHM) is unique in the way it will tell the story from a different angle, which will give visitors a thought-provoking insight into this historic event. The content will be delivered primarily through emotive digital and multimedia displays. Greenway Associates are delighted to have been given the opportunity to add our knowledge of this specialist sector to the delivery of this exciting project. On a personal level, UKHM ticks some key boxes for me – location, subject matter, content, challenges and profile.”
Jared Mensah
Director, Greenway Associates
Almost four years ago, in October 2017, following an international competition, Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Architects and Gustafson Porter + Bowman were selected as the winning team for this incredibly significant project. After a public enquiry and a redesign, it was finally announced in July 2021 that planning permission was granted to build the country’s first national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens, right next to Parliament.
The new UK Holocaust Memorial will honour the 6 million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust, and all other victims of Nazi persecution. From its location next to Parliament, it will ask questions about the role of society and its institutions in encouraging respect for others and preventing hatred.
The overarching vision for the memorial and learning centre, is to retain Victoria Tower Gardens as a public park, affecting minimal green space and ensuring the park’s existing uses can be retained and enhanced, rather than replaced.
The world-class Learning Centre, located below the Memorial, will give visitors a powerful and engaging experience, to learn about the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, through a variety of mediums including historic photographs, film footage and audio recordings so that the stories of survivors can be heard by younger generations, present and future
The design concept takes visitors on a journey that culminates in confronting the 23 tall bronze fins of the Memorial, the spaces in between representing the 22 countries in which Jewish communities were destroyed during the Holocaust.
Entering the Memorial will be a sensory experience. While the outside and inside space emphasises collective gathering, the 23 bronze fins require the visitor to enter in an isolated, solitary way, each pathway planned as a different experience. Each path eventually leads down into the Threshold – a generous hall which acts as a place of contemplation and transition into the Learning Centre below ground.
The Learning Centre includes a “hall of testimonies” and a “contemplation court” - a silent, reflective space with eight bronze panels. On leaving the Memorial, the circulation route ensures visitors will emerge to see the classic uninterrupted view of Parliament – and the reality of democracy.
The government will provide free entry to all visitors. Government support will supplement funds raised from visitor donations and other charitable contributions to cover the running costs of the Memorial and Learning Centre. The government has already announced that it will contribute up to £75 million towards construction costs, to be supplemented by £25 million from charitable donations.
Main construction will start in late 2021 and it is expected to open in Autumn 2024.
For any further details on this project, please feel free to contact us directly.