Architect(s): C.F. Møller Architects
Address: Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, LONDON, United Kingdom
Latitude/Longitude: 51.49672367604247,-0.17743340607423116
Photographs: Torben Eskerod
The second phase of the Darwin Centre is an extension of the famous Natural History Museum in London, taking the form of a huge eight-storey concrete cocoon, surrounded by a glass atrium.
The Natural History Museum is both one of the UK’s top five visitor attractions, and a world-leading science research centre. The architecture of the Darwin Centre reflects this dual role, and reveals to the public for the first time the incredible range and diversity of the Museum’s collections and the cutting-edge scientific research they support.
The centerpiece is made to appear like a large silk cocoon, and forms the inner protective element that houses the museum’s unique collection of 17 million insects and 3 million plants. The shape and size give the visitor a tangible understanding of the volume of the collections contained within. The regulation of temperature and humidity reduce the risk of pest infestations ensuring that the collections will be protected and preserved for many years to come. The exposed thermal mass of the continuous sprayed reinforced concrete shell maintains a stable internal environment, and minimizes energy loading.
Public access to the scientific core of the second phase of the Darwin Centre takes the form of a visitor route up and through the cocoon, overlooking the science and collection areas. Visitors can experience the Darwin Centre as a compelling and interactive learning space, observing the scientific and research activities without interrupting scientific work in progress.
Text description provided by the architects.
Client: The Natural History Museum
Size: 16000m²
Competition: 1st prize in architectural competition, 2001
Construction: BAM Construct UK (main contractor)
Engineering: Arup (structural engineer), Fulcrum Consulting (services engineer), Buro Happold (fire)
Contributed by C.F. Møller Architects
