The Natural History Museum has appointed Mace as preferred main contractor to deliver a new 25,000 sq m (circa 269,000 sq ft) Collections, Research & Digitisation Centre at Thames Valley Science Park in Reading.
The museum has submitted a planning application for the new facility to Wokingham Borough Council and subject to approval it hopes to make a start on site next year, with completion in 2027.
The centre will house the museum’s collections of mammals, non-insect invertebrates (such as corals, crustaceans, molluscs and worms), fossilised mammals and invertebrates, molecular collections and micropalaeontology.
The facility will also feature: an imaging and analysis centre including digitisation suites; state-of-the-art molecular biology laboratories including ancient DNA labs; cryo-facilities for tissue storage; conservation labs; and specimen preparation labs including quarantine facilities.
Keith Jennings, director of estates, projects and masterplanning at the Natural History Museum, said: “This new site will enable us to secure irreplaceable collections in a purpose-built storage facility, provide new scientific infrastructure to accelerate research and digitisation, and act as a base for new collaborations and partnerships.
“We are very excited to see the project reach this stage and look forward to working with Mace under a pre-construction services agreement to further develop the project and prepare for the construction phase.”
Gareth Lewis, Mace’s CEO for Construct, said: “We’re very proud to have been appointed to deliver this landmark scientific facility on behalf of the Natural History Museum. Together with our supply chain we will be raising the bar on sustainability and apply the latest digital thinking to deliver the project to the highest quality and safety standards.”
Mace has been appointed to deliver pre-construction services including design and procurement. Other members of the project team include CPC Project Services as project managers, Arcadis as cost consultants, Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios as architects and Ramboll as mechanical and electrical and civil and structural engineers.
