As part of Museum’s Urban Nature Project, the five-acre site has been reimagined into an accessible free-to-visit green space. Here, visitors emerging from South Kensington Underground Station explore the ecological history of the UK as they approach the iconic museum via the Evolution Timeline. Our external concrete runs throughout the transformed gardens, which allows visitors to rest and reconnect with nature.

The installation amounts to almost 3000m² with some bays totaling almost 100m² without joints and achieves 40+PTV in the wet. We also navigated a large number of existing service covers and manholes, filling new lids with concrete for a seamless finish.

We worked with the design team at Walter Lilly and Mace on a solution to meet the project’s structural and environmental requirements. A full-depth concrete slab was initially proposed but was out of the question due to the visual concept that was required. We proposed our unique external topping system. This could be installed at just 40mm thick while also achieving the project’s ambitious aesthetic mission to reflect the vast geological history of the UK.

This unique system allowed for a stunning blend of different aggregates and sands that were incorporated into the concrete mix and then diamond polished. Brass marker signs were set into the concrete to complement the incredible variations in aggregates which denote the different geological eras.

The bespoke concrete formulation can incorporate up to 50% GGBS, (a go-to cement substitute) and our own sustainability initiatives include using recycled aggregate and sourcing materials locally where possible. This meant that the Anthropocene zone could be created using 100% recycled aggregate, glass and pottery. Combined, these measures result in a significant reduction in both cement use and our overall carbon footprint. A powerful and sustainable homage to Britain’s geological heritage.

©️ The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London