Darwin Centre, Natural History Museum, London

The Darwin Centre is the Museum’s most significant development to date. It’s the only place in the UK where visitors interact daily with natural science experts, seeing how the collections are helping to address issues such as the causes of disease and climate change. The Darwin Centre is a world first in science communication and highlights the important role the Museum plays in generating knowledge about the natural world. The building safeguards the Museum’s 28 million insects and six million plants in a vast eight storey cocoon. It also provides state of the art laboratories for the Museum’s scientific staff. At large were commissioned to create a self-guided journey of discovery inside the cocoon allowing visitors to see ‘behind the scenes’ into the science spaces. Using hands-on learning displays and resources, up to 2,500 people per day can experience the Explore Tour which provides visitors with a view into a working research facility. It is a journey that enables visitors to engage with the work of the Museum in exploring the diversity of life on Earth and it prompts them to explore the natural world and encourage their involvement in efforts to conserve biodiversity.