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Journalists memorial design unveiled

Alex McIntyreWest Midlands
On The Record A computer-generated image showing a memorial made up of spirals of thin metal columns. A path leads up to a doorway and people can be seen inside and around the memorial. It is set in the middle of a field with trees around it.On The Record
Wolfgang Buttress's End of Copy, Words of Light was confirmed as the winning design for the UK's first memorial to journalists killed in conflict

The design of the UK's first national memorial to journalists killed while reporting from conflict zones has been unveiled.

Artist Wolfgang Buttress's proposal End of Copy, Words of Light was confirmed as the winning entry in the contest, run by campaign group On The Record on Wednesday.

The permanent artwork will be erected at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, along with a companion piece at St Bride's Church in Fleet Street, London.

An online public record will also be created to chronicle the lives and work of the journalists, to honour their sacrifice, preserve their memory and educate future generations about the cost of truth.

Buttress said: "This memorial is about presence rather than proclamation. Journalism at its best is an act of service, often quiet, frequently risky and, in the most tragic cases, fatal.

"My ambition was to create a work that acknowledges loss while leaving space for reflection, humility and care. It is a memorial shaped as much by what is felt as what is seen."

On The Record A CGI from inside a memorial made up of thin aluminium columns. A woman can be seen standing at the entrance while another is sitting down. Trees can be seen outside the memorial.On The Record
The memorial will feature aluminium columns, representing rays of light, arranged in a Fibonacci spiral

End of Copy, Words of Light will feature aluminium columns, representing rays of light, arranged in a Fibonacci spiral, while steel and glass surfaces will mirror the surrounding landscape.

The aluminium will be designed to weather naturally to reinforce the memorial's connection with the passage of time.

The announcement of the winning entry came after On The Record was launched to address the lack of a permanent memorial to journalists killed during conflict.

Sarah Sands, chair of trustees, said: "This memorial to journalists covering conflicts, together with the online archive, will ensure that their names and work will not be lost to the news cycle.

"It is a lasting statement that the truth matters, and we will remember the courage and sacrifice of those who died for it."

Once created, the sculpture is expected to be displayed at the National Memorial Arboretum from spring 2027.

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