Nature Activity Centre And Garden Kitchen, Natural History Museum, London

The Urban Nature Project transformed the Natural History Museum’s five-acre gardens into a welcoming, accessible, and ecologically rich green space in central London. The previously underused grounds became an urban oasis, reflecting the story of planetary change. The design team collaborated closely with the Museum’s scientists to create outdoor living galleries that encouraged exploration and learning. Two new buildings—the Nature Activity Centre, supported by AWS, and the Garden Kitchen—were integrated into the landscape. Both incorporated Purbeck Spangle, supplied by Haysom Purbeck Stone, into their plinth courses as seating and within the Activity Centre’s outdoor sinks.

STONE TYPE: Purbeck Spangle Ashlar

CLIENT: Natural History Museum

ARCHITECT/DESIGNER: Fielden Fowles

CONTRACTOR: Walter Lilly

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: Jim Stephenson and Kendal Noctor

DATE: 2024