en.Wedoany.com Reported - Haworth Tompkins has been appointed as the lead architect for the renovation of the four most-visited galleries at the Natural History Museum. The Stirling Prize-winning practice will oversee the £1.84 million restoration of the Western Galleries, covering four spaces: the Dinosaur Gallery, the Origins Gallery, the Old General Herbarium, and the Swing Space.

The scope of work includes the construction of two new elevator and stair cores, restrooms, a second-floor café, the Dino Shop, plant rooms, as well as new ventilation and heating systems. The existing walkway running through the Dinosaur Gallery will be removed, the Botany Library collections will be relocated, and the interior fabric of the grade I-listed building will be repaired where necessary.

The project is expected to last at least six and a half years, covering RIBA Stages 2 through 7. The selected team will be responsible for the base-building design of the galleries and ancillary spaces, while also overseeing the work of other consultants on mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, accessibility, and fire safety, and will undertake heritage conservation, structural engineering, sustainability, and principal design services.

The gallery fit-out works will be delivered as Phase 2 of the project and will be tendered separately. The first works are expected to begin in the Swing Space in autumn 2027, opening to the public in 2028; the Botany Library and the Old General Herbarium will reopen in 2029, the Dinosaur Gallery in 2030, and the Origins Gallery in 2031.

Haworth Tompkins is expected to sign the contract on 31 August, with work officially commencing on 7 September.