Construction has begun at the Natural History Museum’s (NHM) new collections, research and digitisation centre at the University of Reading’s Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield.
The 25,000 sq m complex, funded with a £201 million Government grant, will provide specialised, purpose-built storage for 28 million specimens, around a third of the museum’s collections which include mammals, non-insect invertebrates (such as corals, crustaceans, molluscs and worms), fossilised mammals and invertebrates, molecular collections and micropalaeontology.
The centre will house an imaging and analysis centre, including digitisation suites, modern molecular biology labs as well as ancient DNA labs, specialised areas for tissue storage, conservation labs and specimen preparation labs, including quarantine facilities.
NHM director Dr Doug Gurr said: “This ambitious project will transform the research capabilities of not only our 400-strong scientific team but also researchers around the world – accelerating solutions-led research into some of the greatest challenges facing the planet.
“The potential for this centre is boundless, from helping protect and restore critical habitats to finding the critical minerals to support the energy transition – it could even prove pivotal in preventing the next global pandemic.”
The centre is the result of a partnership with the university and there could be more in the pipeline.
University vice-chancellor Prof Robert van de Noort said: “This collaboration with the Natural History Museum perfectly aligns with our commitment to world-leading environmental research and innovation.
“By developing this state-of-the-art facility at Thames Valley Science Park, we’re creating unprecedented opportunities for collaborative research that will help address the planet’s most pressing challenges. We’re excited to see this transformative project moving forward.”
The move will allow the museum to re-open two galleries, one which closed in 2004 and one which closed in 1948.
Work on the new centre is expected to complete in 2027 with the centre operational by 2031. Transporting the collections from South Kensington to Shinfield will be one of the world’s largest ever moves of natural history specimens.
The team on the project includes Mace Construct on procurement and construction with CPC Project Services on project management, Arcadis on cost management, Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios as lead architect and Ramboll as engineering consultant.
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