Plans are in place for a new Natural History Museum Research Centre
Fielden Clegg Bradleys Studios (FCBS) have unveiled their plans for a new Natural History Museum research centre outside of London. The project is in partnership with the University of Reading which will include laboratories, purpose-built storage for 28 million specimens and space for scientific work.
The scheme is backed by a £201 million government investment with plans to boost science, research and development. It is hoped that the facility will be fully operational by 2031, with a full planning application to develop the site submitted to Wokingham Borough Council in November this year.
The transportation of the specimens, which will include fossils, corals, and animals, will be the largest-ever operation of its kind.
The museum’s new facility aims to deliver a Biodiversity Net Gain of 20%, which will contribute to the future of the biosphere as well as studying its past.
