Our design for the new UK National Flagship reached the final two in the recently commissioned design competition by the British Government. While there was understandable speculation around the need for, and validity of, a new national vessel, the commissioning body created an extraordinarily wide ranging and future facing brief: possibly the only project we have undertaken that encapsulated sustainability, diversity, future technology, craft, education, stewardship, heritage, identity, defence, humanitarianism, research, social value, trade and diplomacy. But for now, we would like to thank our principal SIGNAL consortium partners Houlder Ltd and Frazer-Nash.
While the UK and its Government navigate the occasionally troubled global waters, the new National Flagship will for now remain an idea. Here at BRD we hope this watershed moment will represent the turning of a page, closing a chapter on excitable speculation, nostalgia, and hyperbola. Instead perhaps this competition will come to be seen as a forward looking, responsible, meaningful and accountable approach to national assets. Our design is for our future and remains respectful of our past. We hope our collective efforts to design a vessel emblematic of our national identity and responsive to real life challenges will in due course inspire and indeed see the light of day.
We’re used to far off horizons…
