Mace selected for Natural History Museum contract

View across the natural pond from the main access road towards the main entrance and car park with secure bike storage in the foreground (Photo: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios architects)

Mace will lead the procurement and construction of the new facility. They will be supported by CPC Project Services, which will provide project management assistance, and Arcadis, which will offer cost management support.

The existing design team, now working under Mace, is led by the architectural firm Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios, with engineering consultancy Ramboll also involved.

The new facility will include purpose-built storage for 28 million specimens, representing about a third of the Museum’s extensive collection. It will also offer innovative digital, analytical, and genomic technologies and facilities for the scientific community.

Located in Shinfield at the Thames Valley Science Park, which is part of the University of Reading’s innovation campus, the facility will cover the equivalent area of three football pitches, totaling 25,000 square meters.

It is expected to be completed in 2027 and operational by 2031.

Rob Lemming, managing director for Public Sector and Life Sciences at Mace Construct, says, “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. 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.”