Image: The Origins gallery will reopen as a public gallery as a result of our collections move (Trustees of the NHM, London)
Four galleries are to be refurbished, with a further two created from former storage rooms which will be empty following a storage facility transfer
The Natural History Museum has revealed the first details of a £550m expansion project which will see four galleries refurbished, and a further two created from former storage rooms.
The bulk of funding is from government who previously confirmed £201m for a collections move to Thames Valley Science Park, and £155m for DiSSCo UK, a 10-year Museum led programme which, subject to business case approvals, will digitise natural science collections held in the UK. A further £150m from other sources is still to be raised from philanthropists and businesses.
The capital is hoped to be secured by 2031, when the museum will celebrate its 150th anniversary.
Museum director Doug Gurr told the Financial Times that while capital offers have been made to the museum, it has “turned down quite significant gifts,” adding “there are some people from whom we would find it difficult to accept funding.”
Long term plans include the restoration and renew four existing galleries, including itsDinosaur gallery, and the opening of a brand-new space aimed at young people.
Before then, pening next year is a new free gallery, Fixing Our Broken Planet, which is said to address environmental challenges and showcase what visitors can do to protect the planet.
Plans are also underway to reopen the Origins gallery and the Old General Herbarium, which have been closed to the public since 2004 and 1948 respectively. Currently used to house collections, the museum is set to “restore these spaces to their former glory”, complete with Victorian architecture, and return them to public use.
More than a third of its natural history collection is moving to its purpose-built science, research and digitisation centre at Thames Valley Science Park. Backed by DCMS funding and reportedly the size of three football pitches, it is expected to open in 2026.
The museum said moving the collection out of “unsuitable, unsustainable storage” in South Kensington will increase access and collaboration with the science community, while returning gallery space back to its intended use.
