Natural History Museum, Spirit Building

The new 'Spirit Building' is Phase 1 of the Darwin Centre extension at the Natural History Museum. The main museum building, Alfred Waterhouse's grade 1 listed masterpiece, is richly detailed with images of animals and plants. The Spirit Building uses contemporary detailing and construction techniques, such as the zoomorphic brackets and inflated roof, to continue this tradition of architecture parlante (literally 'talking architecture') into the 21st century."

The terracotta rain screen is a modern building technique which refers directly to the main building. Subtle modulated variations of colour in a palette are drawn from the original terra cotta of the main Museum.

The zoomorphic brackets of the solar wall, the changing appearance created by the sun-tracking metal lourvres and the triple-skin, caterpillar-like inflated roof refer directly to the contents of Phase 1 of the Darwin Centre which will store over 22 million biological specimens preserved in spirit.  The contemporary all-glass façade is hung from "zoomorphic" brackets. 104 person-sized supports, composed from cast alloy steel, are bolted onto the structure of the building and have a stainless steel "spider" to hold the glass in place.

Light filters down into a wedge shaped atrium, separating refrigerated storage for the specimens from the working laboratories, through a Teflon "duvet" of inflated foil cushions. This lightweight roof requires minimal structure to support it and the layers of air make it thermally efficient.  The louvres in the all-glass solar wall are computer controlled to track the sun, giving the building an "intelligent skin" which changes constantly according to weather conditions and the time of day.

Client:

Natural History Museum

Location:

Kensington, London, UK

Contract Value:

£19.6m

Completion:

2000

Designed by:

Sport Concepts

Project Architect

Robert Albanes

Structural Engineer:

Halcrow Yolles

Mechanical Engineer:

ARUP

Electrical Engineer:

ARUP

Project Management:

MacKenzie

Cost Advise:

Franklin & Andrews

Role / involvement:

Full Services including Detail Design, Coordination and site supervision

Architect

Robert Albanes

Designed by:

HOK

Contractor:

Shepherd Construction

Project Management:

Osprey

Cost Advise:

Osprey

Structural Engineer:

Buro Happold

Mechanical Engineer:

Buro Happold

Electrical Engineer:

Buro Happold

Role / involvement:

Full Services including Detail Design & Coordination

Use:

New research laboratories and refrigerated storage for 20 million jars of soft bodied mammals, office accommodation, and public gallery