Urban Nature Project, Natural History Museum
For the first time in the Museum’s history, the gardens will set the scene for a journey through deep time and an exploration of urban nature. The gardens will provide a fully accessible, open air experience of excitement, discovery and immersion; a living illustration of the evolution of 540 million years of life on Earth.
We have reimagined the 5-acre garden at the front of the Natural History Museum. Around an awe-inspiring full size cast of ‘Dippy’ the diplodocus, the history of the Earth will be brought to life with live exhibits of plants reflecting each geological era. The project will explore the profound impact of humanity through a mosaic of habitats showcasing urban nature, creating an imaginative and open platform for participation. The gardens will transition to experimental beds on the threshold of the Angela Marmont’s Centre for UK Biodiversity, adjacent to the Wildlife Garden, where a limestone pavement is envisaged as the urban landscape of the future.
PROJECT INFO
Client Natural History Museum
Location South Kensington, London
Date 2019–ongoing
Area 2.5ha
Biodiversity Net Gain
East Garden 81%
West Lawn | Wildlife Garden 19%
DC Courtyard 12%
CREDITS
Landscape Architect J&L Gibbons
Architect Feilden Fowles
Botanical Consultant Fossil Plants
Interpretation Designer Gitta Gschwendtner
Structural Engineer Engineers HRW
Civil Engineer Infrastruct
M&E Engineer Max Fordham
Transport Consultant Buro Happold
Quantity Surveyor Mace
Hydrology Consultant Hydreau
Access Consultant Earnscliffe
Soil Scientist Tim O’Hare Associates
Landscape Management Land Management Services
Arboricultural Consultant Crown Tree Consultancy