Urban Nature Project, Natural History Museum
The
Urban Nature Project reimagines the Natural History Museum’s 5-acre gardens to
increase biodiversity, accessibility, scientific research and best practice
outdoor nature-learning all year round. It has been designed as a response to
the urgent need to monitor and record changes to the UK's urban nature and to
develop skills to study in this field, as part of a national drive to re-engage
people with the natural world and urban wildlife. The project transforms an
underused garden into an urban oasis, creating significant new areas of habitat
and biodiversity, re-presenting the grounds as a living laboratory.
J&L Gibbons collaborated closely with architects Feilden Fowles on the garden transformation, supported by a multidisciplinary design team that includes Gitta Gschwendtner, HRW engineers, and Max Fordham.
The design team worked closely with the Museum’s scientists to sensitively develop a series of outdoor living galleries providing opportunities to learn about and explore nature.
In the east this includes the new Evolution Garden, a journey from deep time to modern day. Where visitors can learn about 2.7 billion years of history of our planet, told through the immersive timeline of plants, rocks of different geological periods from across the UK, and representations of reptiles, birds, dinosaurs and mammals.
In the west these include Nature Discovery Garden supported by the Cadogan Charity which extends and enhances woodland, grassland, wetlands, and explores approaches to climate adaptation set within an urban forest of the future. Integrated into the landscape are two new buildings: the Nature Activity Centre, supported by Amazon Web Services, and the Garden Kitchen.
The Urban Nature Project represents an inspirational case study for repurposing urban spaces to increase biodiversity and provide urban cooling, offering recreational and wellbeing benefits and enabling scientific research to inspire people and in particular young people, to develop a love for nature and become the naturalists of the future.
PROJECT INFO
Project: The Urban Nature Project
Location: South Kensington, London
Building Type: Learning, cafe
Status: RIBA Stage 5 Construction
Awards:
2023 International Holcim Awards Silver Europe Award
CREDITS
Client The Natural History Museum
Architect Feilden Fowles
Landscape Architect J&L Gibbons
3D Design Gitta Gschwendtner
Interpretation Designer Gitta Gschwendtner
Structural Engineer engineersHRW
M&E , Lighting and Acoustic Engineers Max Fordham
Principal contractor Walter Lilly
Project Management Mace
Quantity Surveyor Mace
Sustainability Consultant Mace
Planning Consultant Deloitte
Heritage Consultant Purcell
Access Consultant Earnescliffe
Civil Engineering Infrastruct CS
Pedestrian Flow Access Buro Happold
Specialist Planting Consultants Fossil Plants