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Sir David Adjaye to build Westminster Holocaust memorial

Adjaye Associates Holocaust Memorial in WestminsterAdjaye Associates
Sir David Adjaye, Ron Arad, together with architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman, will build the new Holocaust Memorial in Westminster

The winning design for a £50m Holocaust memorial in Westminster has been unveiled.

Also an education centre, it will be built by Sir David Adjaye in a park next to the Houses of Parliament.

A jury that included Holocaust survivors, the Communities Secretary, and the Chief Rabbi unanimously selected the design.

But, questions were raised over whether Victoria Tower Gardens is a suitable location for the memorial.

Adjaye Associates Memorial atriumAdjaye Associates
The memorial will use the stories and facts of the Holocaust to explore anti-Semitism, extremism, Islamophobia, racism and homophobia

"We wanted to orchestrate an experience that reminds us of the fragility and constant strife for a more equitable world," Sir David said.

"It is critical these highly important and emotive historical touchpoints are explored, so that future generations are able to experience, learn, reflect and act."

Sir David has teamed up with Israeli designer Ron Arad and landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman on the project.

Adjaye Associates Arial viewAdjaye Associates
The £50m memorial and education centre will be built in Victoria Gardens, next to the Houses of Parliament

The memorial, due for completion by 2021, will honour the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, and all other victims of Nazi persecution, including Roma, gay and disabled people.

A shortlist of 10 finalists was whittled down from 92 entries submitted by architecture and design teams from 26 countries.

Adjaye Associates Hall of VoicesAdjaye Associates
The memorial will include images and voices of victims of the Holocaust

The project will be a "statement by the British people that our nation will remember those who suffered, and that we will always strive for a better future" Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation said.

Ghanaian-born Sir David's recent work includes the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC and the Idea Stores in London's Tower Hamlets.