The project to fill the empty niches of the West Porch of Westminster Abbey was both a demanding and ambitious proposal, given the sensitive and public location on one of the most important and historic monuments in the country. The Dean and Chapter seized the opportunity to commemorate the twentieth century martyrs, and to celebrate the multi-cultural nature of the Anglican Church. The design challenge was how to represent this diverse collection of individuals as a homogenous group and to insert them into a basically Gothic architectural setting. The whole project, from commission to installation needed to be completed in 20 months so that the unveiling could take place during a major Lambeth conference.