NHM150 Western Galleries - Base Build Lead Architect

The Natural History Museum has announced important transformations of its internal spaces ahead of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the South Kensington site, occurring in 2031. As part of these transformations, the popular Dinosaur Gallery will be restored, and the Origins Gallery, the Old General Herbarium and the Swing Space, currently closed to the public, will be reopened and returned to public use. These galleries are identified collectively as the' Western Galleries'. The works in each gallery will be articulated in two phases: base build, which is the object of this tender, and fit out, which will be tendered separately.

The first works to commence will be the Swing Space in Autumn 2027 (base build) for an opening in 2028, followed shortly after by the Botany Library and the Old General Herbarium, due in 2029, Dinosaur Gallery, opening in 2030, and Origins Gallery that will be completed in 2031.

A Feasibility Study has just been completed both for base build and fit-out leading to the identification of a set of recommended options for the base build and a set of design principles for the fit-out.

The base build works for all the galleries in scope will encompass design and works for (high-level scope, including but not limited to):

• Conservation of the gallery spaces
• Making good of the fabric of the building
• New ventilation and heating / cooling system and associated Building Works in Connection (BWIC)
• Mechanical, electrical and public health systems
• Creation of new plant rooms to support the increased needs of the spaces
• Required structural works

Additional works (including but not limited to)

• clearance of existing spaces
• Dismantling and removal of Dinosaur Gallery walkway
• Decant and recant of Botany Library contents
• Temporary relocation of Dino Shop
• Decant and relocation of offices to make room for the new circulation core
• Relocation and enlargement of ground floor café
• Conservation of existing fixtures and finishes (e.g. cabinets and bookcases) in Old General Herbarium and Botany Library
• Removal of existing Dino shop and dog leg corridor in the Swing Space
• Creation of 2 new vertical circulation cores (lifts and staircase)
• Decant and relocation of offices to make room for the new circulation core
• Creation of new toilets and ancillary spaces
• Relocation and enlargement of ground floor café
• Creation of new café on the first floor
• Fit out of new Dino Shop and the two cafes.

The appointed consultants will be asked to act as Lead Architect, developing the base build design for the galleries and ancillary spaces across RIBA stages 2-7, supervising and coordinating the works of the other base build consultants, such as, but not limited to, MEP consultants, circulation consultants, accessibility consultant and fire consultant and coordinating the fit-out consultants to ensure continuity between the projects. They will also be asked to provide Heritage consultancy, structural engineer, sustainability and BSA Principal Design services for the base build and fit out projects.

In order to access the documents for the tender exercise, all tenderers must complete the NDA available in the SQ stage document library. The NDA must be signed by an appropriate representative of the tendering company and returned to the Museum for countersignature. Once the NDA has been completed by both parties, it will be sent to tenderers for record keeping. The tenderer will then be added to the Tenderbox stage. Bidders who signed an NDA as part of the Pre-Market Engagement stage do NOT need to sign the NDA again, and will be added to the Tenderbox automatically. Once bidders have been added to the Tenderbox they will receive an automated e-mail from Delta.