To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) area in square metres, and (2) proportion, of Victoria Tower Gardens as a whole will be occupied by the intended UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, including (a) the entrance pavilion, (b) courtyard and ramp into the Learning Centre, (c) associated hard standing, (d) service access, (e) new access paths, (f) the parts of the mound not accessible to the public, and (g) areas to be enclosed to ensure the security of the Centre.
Answered on
12 April 2023
Extensive information about the design of the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre was considered at the Planning Inquiry in October 2020 and remains publicly available on Westminster City Council’s website. The additional detail requested is set out in the table below and to provide further assistance and to illustrate the answers I am placing the three source documents in the Library:
- Gross Internal Area (GIA) & Building Area Breakdown Schedule which shows the area in square metres of every internal space within the proposed Learning Centre, the Entrance Pavilion and the Café/Kiosk.
- Park Area Diagram rev 2 which shows both the size of Victoria Tower Gardens and the area taken by the Holocaust Memorial above ground within the park.
- Playground Area Adjustment which shows the boundaries and areas of the current playground and proposed reconfigured playground. It also shows the area between the Spicer Memorial in its proposed new location and the Holocaust Memorial’s entrance pavilion. This area would provide circulation space for all park users between the boundary of the reconfigured playground and the Memorial’s Entrance Pavilion.
Question | Answer | Source | |
1 | The floor area in square metres of the proposed underground construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. | 3258 m2 * (includes 373m2 of unusable spaces such as voids, risers and areas with limited headroom) * all areas are gross internal floor area (GIFA) i.e. excluding external walls. | GIA & Building Area Breakdown Schedule |
2 | Percentage of the underground area that will be used for exhibitions and public space as part of the Learning Centre. | 52.85% Mezzanine Level Lobby (103m2) Learning Centre (349 m2) Basement Level Threshold (314m2) Learning Centre (956 m2) Total = 1722 m2 | GIA and Building Area Breakdown Schedule |
3 | Area in square metres of Victoria Tower Gardens as a whole, that will be enclosed to guarantee security around the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in addition to the area occupied by the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre itself. | Zero as an addition to the 1429 m2 occupied by the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. | NHM Park Area Diagram rev 2 |
4 | Proportion of (3) | Zero | NHM Park Area Diagram rev 2 |
5 | Size in sqm of the current playground in Victoria Tower Gardens | 1010 m2 | Playground Area Adjustment |
6 | Size in sqm of the intended new playground | 945 m2 | Playground Area Adjustment |
7 | Size in sqm of the intended new café | 15 m2 Café/Kiosk 38 m2 including generator and storage | GIA and Building Area Breakdown Schedule |
8 | Size in sqm of the part of the current playground to be occupied by UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre ticketing and associated works | 23m2 Café/Kiosk generator and storage. Zero occupied by ticketing operations in the Entrance Pavilion. Footfall area 155 m2 | GIA and Building Area Breakdown Schedule Playground Area Adjustment |
9 | Area in square metres of Victoria Tower Gardens as a whole that will be occupied by the intended UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, including (a) the entrance pavilion, (b) courtyard and ramp into the Learning Centre, (c) associated hard standing, (d) service access, (e) new access paths, (f) the parts of the mound not accessible to the public, and (g) areas to be enclosed to ensure the security of the Centre. | 1429 m2 | NHM Park Area Diagram rev 2 |
10 | Proportion of (9) | 7.58% | NHM Park Area Diagram rev 2 |