Design and Memorial Competitions

Competitions were held both for the sculpture which is to become the centrepiece of the British Memorial Garden and for the design of the Garden itself. Anish Kapoor has been chosen to create the "Unity" sculpture and Julian and Isabel Bannerman have been selected to create the garden. Details of these competitions are below.

Monument and Memorial

April 1, 2004

BRITISH MEMORIAL GARDEN TRUST ANNOUNCES ANISH KAPOOR AS WINNER OF SCULPTURE COMPETITION: WILL CREATE MONUMENT FOR NEW GARDEN AT HANOVER SQUARE

Sculpture to the Unity of US and UK to anchor new park for New York City

The Directors of the British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc. have announced that renowned British sculptor Anish Kapoor has been named the winner of a juried competition to create a monument to Unity for a new park at Hanover Square. Twelve of Britain’s most critically acclaimed artists submitted designs for the invitation-only competition which was held last summer in New York. Kapoor’s design was selected by a jury of art historians, members of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and other experts. The piece will serve as the anchor for the garden, complementing the overall design of the space. The 19.5’ high sculpture will be carved from a massive block of pure black granite. It will sit at the southern end of the park where it will serve as a focal point for Remembrance Day and other observances for the British and Commonwealth community.


The details of the sculpture are described in a statement from Anish Kapoor:

“The proposed memorial is for an object roughly 6 meters high by 2.5 meters wide by 1.5 meters deep. It is a block of black granite into which a vertical chamber is carved of approximately 1 meter by 2.5 meters by 80 centimeters in depth. The inner chamber is polished to give a mirrored surface. The chamber reflects light so as to form a column, which hovers, ghost-like, in the void of the stone. This very physically monolithic object then appears to create within itself an ephemeral reflection akin to an eternal flame.”

Born in Bombay in 1954, Anish Kapoor is among the most prominent figures in British sculpture. His award-winning work has been exhibited around the world since the 1970s when he first moved to London to study art at Hornsey College and the Chelsea School of Art Design. In 1990 Mr. Kapoor represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale where he was awarded the Premio Duemil by an international jury. In 1991, he won the coveted Turner Prize. He was elected Royal Academician in 1999, and in 2003, HM Queen Elizabeth II named Anish Kapoor a Commander of the British Empire (CBE).

Anish Kapoor’s work combines the spiritual traditions of India with Western art concepts. Mr. Kapoor has worked in such diverse materials as stone, steel, glass and pigment. His sculptures and forms have been exhibited at one person exhibitions all over the world and he is represented in such public collections as Reina Sofia, Madrid; the Tate Gallery, London; Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C.; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Tel Aviv Museum of Art; Samsung Museum, South Korea; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and; Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.

The Unity sculpture for the British Memorial Garden Trust will be one of Anish Kapoor’s first large-scale public art works in the United States. The sculptural artwork will serve as the centerpiece of the British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square, complementing the overall design of the garden. The judging committee was comprised of:

Rodney N. M. Johnson, MBE, President, St. George's Society of New York, Chairman of Jury, Sculpture Committee
The Earl of Albemarle, Director, Rufus Albemarle Ltd
Abigail Asher, Guggenheim Asher Associates
Annette Blaugrund, Director, National Academy of Design
Michael Bolger, Manhattan Team Leader, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
William Castro, Manhattan Borough Commissioner, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
Claire Dudley, Designer, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
Judy Duffy, City of New York, Community Board No. 1, Manhattan
John Elderfield, Museum of Modern Art
Paul Ersboll, Senior Project Manager, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
Camilla G. Hellman, President, British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc.
Richard T. Kennedy, Vice Chairman, City of New York, Community Board No. 1, Manhattan
Jonathan Kuhn, Director of Arts and Antiquities, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
John Kinnear, A.I.A. Architect
Daniella Luxembourg, Phillips Gallery
Patrick McCaughey
Amy Meyers, Director, Yale Center for British Art
Therese O’Malley, Associate Dean, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Ghislaine Maxwell
Patrick Owens, OBE, Consul, British Consulate General
Margaret Asaro Peeler, Manhattan Deputy Chief of Operations, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
Commissioner Rev. Thomas F. Pike, Rector, Calvary/St George’s Church
Elizabeth Swig, Docent, Whitney Museum; Directors Council, Guggenheim Museum

In an article in London’s The Observer, the British Memorial Garden Trust’s project was cited as being integral to the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan and “Wall Street’s new motto: Reflect, Remember, Rebuild.”

The garden is a gift from the British community in New York and its Anglo-American friends to the City of New York. It is intended to serve as a place of remembrance, contemplation and recreation for the community. The British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc., together with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, is developing the garden.

The original idea for the garden was conceived by Camilla G. Hellman, who is also President of the British Memorial Garden Trust. Her fellow Directors are HM Consul Patrick E. Owens, OBE and Rodney N.M. Johnson, MBE.


Camilla Hellman and Anish Kapoor in Hanover Square

Under the auspices of the Friends of the British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square, a $3.5 million fund-raising campaign has been launched in support of the establishment and maintenance of this important project. The British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization with oversight from the British Consulate-General and the St. George’s Society of New York.

On October 15, 2003, the Directors were proud to announce that HRH The Prince of Wales has graciously agreed to become Royal Patron of the British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc. further reflecting the international importance of the initiative.

Photographs available upon request.

ANISH KAPOOR

A brief biography

Anish Kapoor, RA, was born in Bombay in 1954 and has lived in London since the early 1970s. He studied at Hornsey College of Art and the Chelsea School of Art Design. Over the past twenty years, Mr. Kapoor has exhibited extensively in the United Kingdom and around the world.

His solo shows have included such venues as Kunsthalle Basel, the Tate Gallery and Hayward Gallery in London, Reina Sofia in Madrid and CAPC in Bordeaux. Mr. Kapoor has also participated in international group shows, including the Whitechapel Art Gallery, the Royal Academy and Serpentine Gallery in London, Documenta IX in Kassel, Moderna Museet in Stockholm and Jeu de Paume and Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

Anish Kapoor’s work combines the spiritual traditions of India with Western art concepts. Mr. Kapoor has worked in such diverse materials as stone, steel, glass and pigment. His work has been exhibited at one person exhibitions all over the world and he is represented in such public collections as Reina Sofia, Madrid; the Tate Gallery, London; Hirshorn Museum, Washington, D.C.; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Italy; Tel Aviv Museum of Art; Samsung Museum, South Korea; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and; Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.

Anish Kapoor was awarded the Premio Duemila at the Venice Biennale in 1990, the Turner Prize Award in 1991 and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at the London Institute in 1997. Mr. Kapoor was elected Royal Academician in 1999, and in 2003, he was named a CBE on HM the Queen’s birthday honors list.

Anish Kapoor is represented by the Lisson Gallery, London, Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York and Galleria Massimo, Italy.




June 24, 2003

LEADING BRITISH SCULPTORS SUBMIT DESIGNS
FOR BRITISH MEMORIAL GARDEN, HANOVER SQUARE

Competition Winner to be announced in Fall

June 24, 2003, New York City: Twelve of Britain’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed artists have submitted designs for a sculptural work for the new British Memorial Garden being planned for Lower Manhattan. The winner of the invitation-only competition will be announced in the Fall. The noted artists who have submitted sculptural designs are:

Sir Antony Caro
Tony Cragg
Richard Deacon
Antony Gormley
Allen Jones
Anish Kapoor
Dick Onians
Julian Opie
William Pye
Edwina Sandys
William Tucker
Simon Verity

The sculptural artwork will serve as the centerpiece of the British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square, complementing the overall design of the garden. The judging committee is listed below.




DESIGN BRIEF - SYMBOL DESIGN
March 26, 2003

To design the symbol which will be the sculptural focal point of the British Memorial Garden.

THE MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE BRITISH MEMORIAL GARDEN

The Garden is intended both as a living memorial and place of solitude, comfort and reflection; a truly British garden drawing from the many wonderful elements of the historic gardens of Britain. It will be a gift from the British community to the people of New York, a place for the community to enjoy and experience the historic friendship linking the two nations.

The garden will also remain a functioning open space for use by the local community of residents and office workers.

THE MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE BRITISH MEMORIAL GARDEN SYMBOL [Sculptural Focus]

This Mission Statement is to serve as a guide to the creation of a Sculptural Focus which, although prompted by the events of 9/11, will represent the bond between the British and American people through many historical events, both past and those to come. The symbol shall also be the Sculptural focal point during public gatherings , such as Remembrance Day observances .

The Sculptural Focus should signify the continuation of the bond between the two nations, into the future.

PROGRAM FOR THE BRITISH MEMORIAL GARDEN SYMBOL

The Sculptural Focus is to:
          • Express the goals and spirit of the Mission Statement
          • Encourage reflection and contemplation

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Hanover Square and Hanover Street

The Namesake: the House of Hanover, the German family that became Britain’s sovereigns in 1714.

Like most place names related to British rule, those of Hanover Square and Hanover Street were changed in an official purge by the Common Council in 1794: the square and the street were incorporated in Pearl Street. But the changes were never enforced and Hanover Street was officially opened under that name in 1830.

PRESENT CONDITIONS, FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

Hanover Square is currently a New York City park, which was last worked on in the 1970’s. At that time the trees were planted and the paving was installed. Large planters were placed to block traffic from entering the square, which used to be intersected by a street.

The west side of the square abuts an office building with retail stores and restaurants on the ground floor. Access to these businesses must be maintained. Because of the former street through the site and the underground transformers, utilities serving the office building, and utilities below the former street, the new design for the square should incorporate and/or raised planting beds and freestanding planters. Access to all underground utilities should be maintained. The City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) has provided a template that shows the location of utilities and other existing features which must remain. Parks shall review all plans for compatibility with their regulations. The design shall also be reviewed by The Art Commission of the City of New York, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the local Community Board. (see guidelines for donating works of art to the City Of New York/Parks and Recreation included in this Package).

1.0      DESIGN OBJECTIVES

1.1      The Design of the Sculptural Focus for the BMG should be consistent with the goal of the gardens - design a garden that reflects all the best elements of British gardens and landscape design. A truly British garden, drawing from the many wonderful elements of the historic gardens and stately homes of Britain, with perhaps the integration of planters, benches, and native plants and flowers, that could thrive in New York, to add to the British flavor and authenticity.

1.2      Consider that on various occasions (such as Remembrance Day), large gatherings must be accommodated in the square.

1.3      The Sculptural Focus should be located central to the square, and should occupy no more than one hundred square feet. An alternate location to consider, is where the De Peyster statue is now located. It is proposed as part of the project that The De Peyster statue shall be relocated to the north end of the square, or moved out of the square to a new site. The Landscape Design firms for the Park will be selected the first week in April and shall be available for conciliation.

1.4      There are no restrictions on the materials used (other than permanence). Lighting may be part of the Sculptural Focus, water may be a feature [ but not vertical streams, which on windy days would make much of the Garden unusable ]of the symbol, although a fountain will require a subterranean pump and filter room. Choices of materials, color, whether the Sculptural Focus is static or moves by power or wind are all open considerations left to the competitors.

1.5      The BMG Foundation has been appraised by the members of the jury and the Art Advisory Committee what an appropriate budget range for this Sculptural Focus will be.

2.0      SELECTION PANEL

2.1      The following judges have been appointed by the BMG committee:

Earl of Albemarle, Director, Rufus Albemarle Ltd. Chairman, Judging Committee

Abigail Asher, Guggenheim Asher Associates

Annette Blaugrund, Director, National Academy of Design

Michael Bolger, Manhattan Team Leader, City of New York, Parks and Recreation

Commissioner William Castro, Manhattan Borough Commissioner

Claire Dudley, City of New York, Parks and Recreation

Judy Duffy, City of New York, Community Board No. 1, Manhattan

John Elderfield, Museum of Modern Art

Paul Ersboll, Senior Project Manager, City Of New York, Parks and Recreation

Wendy Goodman

Camilla G. Hellman, President, Executive Committee, Friends of the British Memorial Garden In New York

Rodney N. M. Johnson, MBE, President, St. George's Society of New York

Richard T. Kennedy, Vice Chairman, City of New York, Community Board No. 1, Manhattan

John Kinnear, A.I.A. Architect

Jonathan Kuhn, Director Arts and Antiquities, City of New York, Parks and Recreation

Daniella Luxembourg, Phillips Gallery

Patrick McCaughey

Amy Meyers, Director, Yale Center for British Art

Suzanne O’Keefe, The Alliance for Downtown NY (nominating a replacement)

Therese O’Malley, Associate Dean, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

Ghislaine Maxwell

Patrick Owens, OBE, Consul, British Consulate General

Margaret Asaro Peeler,Manhattan Deputy Chief of Operations, City of New York, Parks and Recreation

Commissioner Rev. Thomas F. Pike, Rector, Calvary/St George’s Church

Elizabeth Swig, Docent, Whitney Museum; Directors Council, Guggenheim Museum

OBSERVERS

Karen Bechtel, Board of The National Gallery of Design

Deborah Bershad, Executive Director, Art Commission of the City of New York

Richard Kennedy, Community Board One

[additional names shall be added prior to Jury day]

3.0      SELECTION OF ARTISTS

3.1      (12)± British artists of high caliber have been chosen to be the most suitable for the project. The artists receiving this invitation are requested to accept or decline by the date listed. Those accepting are asked to submit photographs and descriptions of their work with the letter of acceptance.

3.2      A short list of 5 artists shall be selected from those artists accepting the invitation. Those artists short-listed shall submit their design and estimated cost 24 hours prior to the Jury Day.

3.3      The design must be submitted in a three dimensional format, of a size which can be handled by one person. Transportation from the U.K. shall be arranged by the BMG.

3.4      The design that most effectively meets the criteria outlined in the brief will be selected by the judges as the winner. The decisions of the BMG committee shall be final. All participants will be notified prior to any announcement being made.

3.5      The designs submitted and the winning design will be displayed in an Exhibition at a New York City location to be announced.

4.0      PRIZES

4.1      The British Memorial Garden Committee will negotiate with the winning artist for development of the detailed designs and specifications. Implementation of the project shall be done in association with the selected Landscape Architect [The landscape architect will be selected by the first week in April] and a NY firm to manage the project on a daily basis. The winning artist should submit estimated cost and time schedule with the submission.

4.2      The British Memorial Garden Committee reserves the right not to award any prizes if, in the opinion of the assessors, the designs submitted do not meet the criteria of the brief.

5.0      PROGRAM

5.1      Brief mailed to artists                                                                                                 March 20, 2003
          Confirmation of intention to submit from artists with their portfolio        May 5, 2003
          Selection of 5 short-listed artists                                                                             April 22, 2003
          Deadline for submission of final designs                                                               June 20, 2003
          Jury Day to be determined by the first week of April                                    June 26, 2003
          Announcement of selected design                                                                         July, 2003

5.2      Deadline Eastern Standard Time at British Memorial Garden Office

6.0      SUBMISSION METHOD

6.1      The artists invited to submit designs must confirm in writing that they intend to do by April 15, 2003.

6.2      Please provide information on previous similar projects in the public domain.

6.3      It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that Friends of the BMG receives their entries by the closing date given. Late entries will be disqualified. Competitors requiring proof of delivery should send their package by the BMG appointed shipper.

6.4      No designs may be exhibited or published by the participants until the winner has been announced by Friends of the BMG. Participants who publicize their schemes before the end of the competition will be disqualified.

7.0      AGREEMENT BY SUBMISSION

7.1      By submitting a design the artist warrants that they are fully entitled to all intellectual property rights in the design, and the artist of the winning design will agree to grant to the Friends of the BMG an exclusive perpetual and irrevocable license to use and reproduce the design in any medium whatsoever.

7.2      In cases where the entries are displayed or published, full credit will be given to the artists and any sponsoring institutions, but no monetary consideration or fee will otherwise be given.

7.3      The decision of Judges and Friends of the BMG is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the submitted designs and their judging and awards.

8.0      ENQUIRIES

8.1      A comprehensive brief has been provided together with a pack, which includes technical data sheets, location and survey plans, photographs, etc. Should further information be required, please contact John Kinnear by phone 212-685-9500, or by email jkinnear@jankorasic.com. Contestants may have questions for Parks - they will be given two opportunities to ask Yes/No questions via e-mail of the info@britishmemorialgarden.org and the BMG will contact Parks for the answers. Information so provided, where considered to be of relevance to all designers, will be circulated immediately to all artists.

Garden Design Synopsis and Objectives

June 2, 2003

JULIAN AND ISABEL BANNERMAN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
SELECTED TO DESIGN THE BRITISH MEMORIAL GARDEN

Garden at Hanover Square Gift to the City of New York
From the British Community

New York City, June 2, 2003 – The renowned British landscape architectural team of Julian and Isabel Bannerman has been selected to design the British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square in Lower Manhattan. In an invitational competition held earlier this year, the Bannermans were chosen for the project because of the originality, fluidity and aesthetics of their submitted design.

The British Memorial Garden is the Bannermans’ first major American commission, and their design is reminiscent of the classic British flower garden, featuring yew hedges, topiaries and formal flowerbeds. The garden, a gift from the British Community in New York to the people of New York City, represents their continuing commitment to New York, will contribute to the revitalization of the Wall Street area and act as a place of remembrance and contemplation.

Married since 1982, Julian and Isabel Bannerman have worked together on garden and building restoration and design for over twenty years. They have twice been gold medal winners at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Garden Show (1993 and 1994) and designed grounds and out buildings for such noted locations as Syndmonton Court, Waddensdon Manor, Leeds Castle, Houghton Hall and Knepp Castle. Their work is known and highly esteemed throughout the United Kingdom and abroad.

Isabel and Julian Bannerman

Earlier this year Isabel and Julian Bannerman were awarded a Royal Warrant by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales for their outstanding work for the British Royal Family over the past several years, most notably for their ongoing work at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

The British Memorial Garden was launched last month in the presence of Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal. She presented the City of New York with a collection of heirloom seeds from Hampton Court Palace in Great Britain, including marigolds featured in Henry VIII’s garden in the 16th century as well as William III’s Privy Garden during the 17th century.

In addition to the Bannermans’ design for the garden, an invitational competition is being held to select a leading British artist to create a sculpture for it. The judging panel includes such art experts as the Earl of Albemarle, John Elderfield (Museum of Modern Art, NYC), Patrick McCaughney, Any Meyers (Yale Center for British Art) and Teresa O’Malley (National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC). The winner of this competition will be announced in late June. The garden itself is scheduled to open in the summer of 2004.

Under the auspices of The Friends of British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square, a fund-raising campaign has been launched in support of the establishment and maintenance of this important project. The British Memorial Garden Trust is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization managed by the British Consulate-General and the St. George’s Society of New York.

Photographs available upon request.




Synopsis of Landscape Architects Design Objectives

Competitors are asked to note:

The Hanover Square designs shall be reviewed by the NYC Parks Dept., NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, the local Community Board, and other agencies and organizations deemed necessary.

Design a garden that reflects all the best elements of British gardens and landscape design.  A truly British garden, drawing from the many wonderful elements of the historic gardens and stately homes of Britain, with perhaps the integration of planters, benches, and native plants and flowers, that could thrive in New York, to add to the British flavor and authenticity.

Consider that on various occasions (such as Remembrance Day), large gatherings must be accommodated in the square.

The plan should incorporate the sidewalks in front of India House and to the east across Pearl Street, and north across Hanover Street.  These sidewalks are not part of the city park, but shall be incorporated in the design.

Consider circulation throughout the square.

Provide for the comfort of the people using the square from the local area  -- include benches (approximately 30), lighting, a drinking fountain, and telephones.

Provide space for a proposed monument, which is to be by a British artist and selected by competition.  It is also proposed that the  DePeyster monument will be moved to the north end of the square or another suitable location.

A water feature should be a component of the design.

Repaving the entire square is part of the program.  The selection of material and pattern should be part of the scheme presented, including the curbing.

Flagpoles to display UK & USA flags should be considered in the design.

Iron railings should be considered in the design to separate the planting from the traffic, and to provide a British ambience.  An element of the design should pay homage to British 9/11 victims.