The next phase of the Nature + Love project has begun, with the arrival of two newly appointed contractors.
Rooff is a family-run, London-based business and will be upgrading the fabric of the building housing the Natural History Gallery.
- Visitors can expect to see scaffolding to the rear of the Museum and a canopy covering the whole gallery, while Rooff remove the old roof and replace it with a new one. This will improve thermal performance and better manage ventilation within the gallery, to protect the building and its contents for years to come.
- Rooff will also be upgrading mechanical and electrical equipment, and carrying out redecoration and refurbishment works, including refurbishing the historic showcases so that they can better protect the collections on display.
Out in the Gardens, visitors will see the Blakedown Landscapes team hard at work.
- Award-winning landscaping and civil engineering specialists Blakedown have begun with groundworks to create temporary access for construction vehicles across the meadow to the old boating pond, where the new café, play area and toilets will be located.
- We are consulting with the tree officer to ensure the correct protective measures are put in place to take care of the trees during the works.
- Blakedown will also be removing the existing greenhouses in the Gardens nursery area and starting foundation works for the new glasshouses which will take their place.
Please keep an eye out for signage about any footpath diversions and closures – we want to keep everyone safe while they visit.
There’s still plenty to see and do inside the Museum and outside in the Gardens.
Nature + Love is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to begin work to make the Horniman more inclusive and accessible, placing environmental sustainability and a commitment to fighting the climate emergency at its heart.