The Natural History Museum has shown off plans to revamp the space in front of the museum, including putting a dinosaur in the garden.
It’s all part of a plan for the 5-acre gardens that will become an extension of the museum, showing off urban wildlife research, conservation and environmental awareness. When complete in 2023, the Museum gardens will aim to take people on a journey through a changing world.
Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s famous diplodocus, will have pride of place; in a newly commissioned cast, Dippy will overlook the new east gardens which will tell the story of the Earth’s history.
(c) The Trustees of the Natural History Museum
Let’s hope no one nicks the dinosaur.
With plants and fossils reflecting each geological era, visitors will be able to learn about the profound impact humans have caused in a short space of time.
The designs propose a new permanent structure in the east garden, the Garden Building. The proposal is for the Garden Building to have a dual function: as a cafe and function space, and as a support space for planting in the gardens.
The west gardens will be a ‘model’ for urban nature, with different habitats showcasing the biodiversity that can be found in the UK’s urban spaces.
The South Kensington gardens will also host a living lab where scientists, volunteers and the public can study the changes in urban nature and share this research across a network of national partners.
Another of the changes, which is more significant than it first appears is to remove the steps from the subway up to the museum, which while fairly small in size, are heavily used — and they will be replaced with a rocky canyon which looks atmospherically marvelous.
(c) The Trustees of the Natural History Museum
The layout also looks like they will be losing the winter ice rink as the lawn where it goes at the moment wont be there any more. The loss of revenue from that for the museum being offset by the year-round cafe instead.
Designs for the new gardens are available for comment on until the end of 26th April.
