New Zealand Memorial in London – place and preview
Place: Hyde Park Corner
Location
The memorial is located at Hyde Park Corner, diagonally opposite the Australian War Memorial which was completed in 2003. The official dedication of the New Zealand Memorial took place on 11 November 2006.
Hyde Park Corner is one of the most significant junctions in London, providing a pivot to the processional route linking the Royal Palaces to the Royal Parks. At 1.5 hectares, it is a substantial green space and is flanked by Hyde and Green parks. It is dominated by the Wellington Arch at its centre, and is the site of several other memorials. Plantings and stone walls protect the site from much of the noise and pollution from the estimated 100,000 vehicles that drive past the site each day.
Location of New Zealand and Australian memorials at Hyde Park Corner.
English Heritage, in conjunction with other authorities, is currently reconfiguring Hyde Park Corner. The first and second stages of development are complete and resulted in the refurbishment of the Wellington Arch, reconfiguration of the 'lower-bowl', and the installation of the Australian War Memorial. The later phases of the plan include the development of the 'upper bowl', where the New Zealand Memorial is situated.
In London there are many monuments to the fallen and to military leaders. Recent years have seen some important new memorials to Commonwealth contributors to UK wars. In addition to the Australian memorial in Hyde Park, there is a Canadian memorial in Green Park, and gates on Constitution Hill have recently been erected in honour of the contributions from Africa, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Caribbean.
page topPreview: Artists' impressions
Click on still shots below to see related movies. These are provided in Windows Media Player (.wmv) format. For a description of the sculptures, see the Design concept and artists' page.
