NHM View across the natural pond from the main access road towards the main entrance and car park with secure bike storage in the foreground. ©Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios architects

The Natural History Museum's new site at Thames Valley Science Park will house around a third of its specimen collection as well as digital, analytical, and genomic facilities

Photo: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios

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Building work on Natural History Museum’s ‘pivotal’ research centre imminent

The new facility is a key part of the UK’s DiSSCo UK project, a £155m, 10-year programme to digitise natural science collections with an estimated value to the economy of more than £2bn.

Mary Stone
3 min read

Construction work on a new collections, research and digitisation centre for the Natural History Museum is due to begin soon following the appointment of a contractor to manage and oversee the building.

Backed by a £201m investment from the UK Government, the new facility at Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield, Berkshire, is part of the NHM Unlocked Programme.

Mace will lead the procurement and construction of the new facility, spanning an area of 25,000 sqm which will provide purpose-built storage for 28 million specimens, totalling around a third of the museum’s collection.

Moving the specimens out of the museum’s South Kensington building is key to the organisation’s plans to revamp its main site and reopen two galleries that have been closed to the public for decades. The organisation aims to raise a further £150m to fund the project.

Digitisation programme

Due to be completed in 2027 and operational by 2031, the new facility has also been cited as a potential driver of economic growth and global research.

The Natural History Museum is currently leading the DiSSCo UK project, announced in March 2024 – a £155m, 10-year programme to digitise natural science collections held in the UK using the latest AI-derived innovations.

It is hoped that the programme will enable researchers in the UK and worldwide to utilise museum collections to address global challenges, from helping scientists design climate change-resistant crops to identifying the locations of future pandemics and studying bats.

The economic value to the UK of research enabled by the digitisation of natural history collections has been estimated at more than £2bn.

In addition to housing specimens, the museum’s new facility at Thames Valley Science Park will feature digital, analytical, and genomic facilities for scientists, including digitisation suites, molecular biology laboratories, cryo-facilities, conservation and specimen preparation labs, and quarantine facilities.

“As we embark on this significant project, our focus is on creating a facility that not only protects the museum’s invaluable specimens but also serves as a centre for groundbreaking research,” said Rob Lemming, managing director for public sector and life sciences at Mace Construct.

“This building will be equipped with cutting-edge technology, enabling solutions-led research into some of the greatest challenges facing the planet, from climate change and biodiversity loss to health and sustainable resourcing.”

Keith Jennings, director of estates, projects and masterplanning at the Natural History Museum, added: “It is fantastic we will soon be breaking ground for such a pivotal project that will transform collections access, physically and digitally, for the scientific community.

“This increased accessibility will enhance both the research capability of our 400 scientists and researchers from all over the world – ultimately strengthening the UK’s position in finding solutions to the planetary emergency.”