A new statue to remember those who died during the Covid pandemic will be erected in an Aberdeen park.
Plans were unveiled in 2023 for a city memorial in Bon Accord Terrace Gardens.
The cairn, to be constructed from upcycled local granite, is hoped to allow people to honour those who died.
A locally commissioned poem will be engraved into the stone.
London-based George King Architects will build the statue, which is planned to be in place this year.
Bon Accord Terrace Gardens Covid memorial expected to be in place this year
National Covid community memorial programme Remembering Together will cover the £100,000 cost.
Council communities convener Miranda Radley said: “I am pleased to see the creation of Aberdeen’s Covid Memorial has moved into its final stages with the appointment of the artist to create this poignant tribute within our city.
“Taking on board the ideas from the public is vitally important to ensure the finished memorial reflects the wishes of the people most impacted by the pandemic.
“I look forward to seeing the finished memorial in situ at Bon Accord Terrace Gardens later this year.”
Why was Bon Accord Terrace Gardens chosen for the Covid memorial?
In summer 2022, a creative taskforce was asked to consider where best to put Aberdeen’s Covid memorial.
They said it was crucial that the artwork be placed in an accessible outdoor space to ensure people of all ages and abilities could view it.
And Bon Accord Terrace Gardens was put forward as the ideal location, so close to the city centre.
The Aberdeen Covid memorial is expected that the statue would need “very little” maintenance and would need nothing more than an annual clean.
Should the project get the green light and everything goes to plan, the memorial could be unveiled next summer.
George King Architects to build Aberdeen’s Covid memorial
George King Architects were selected from a shortlist of three artists, who produced visuals and models of their vision for the Bon Accord Terrace Gardens Covid memorial.
Principal architect George King said: “We are honoured to have been selected as the designers of such an important new public space and art piece.
“Our design encapsulates the city’s resilience, strength, and unity in the face of adversity.
“We wanted to reflect this within the design creating a contemporary reinterpretation of a traditional Scottish cairn made entirely from upcycled granite salvaged from the city itself and given new life within the memorial.
“Engraved on the rear of each stone will be lines from a newly commissioned poem, written by a local poet and inspired by the experiences of the local community during the pandemic.”
Have your say: Bon Accord Terrace Gardens Covid memorial
Culture Aberdeen, Shmu and a steering group made up of Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen City Voluntary Organisations (Acvo) and other third sector organisations are overseeing the work.
The artist and project team will hold two public meetings on Wednesday April 10 to discuss the next stage of the work at Ferryhill Community Centre.
The first will run from 3pm-5pm and the second 6pm-8pm.
Alongside those public meetings, there will also be workshops running too.
Between 3.45pm-5pm, children, families and adults can take part, while another adult-only workshop will run from 6.45pm-9pm.
Places on the workshops must be booked with Culture Aberdeen, who will also run another online on May 7 at 7.30pm.
Conversation