The brief called for a project which illustrated the natural world and educated visitors about humankind’s place within it, an idea we used as the basis for our concept design.

A twisted surface, described by the form that spans between the strands of a human DNA’s double helix geometry, provides the overarching form for a roof that embraces the entire building. In turn, this twisted form is rotated slightly off the horizontal level to embed one end of the roof helix in the earth (from which we originate) with the other pointing to the stars (to where we’ll go).

The roof is a walkable landscaped surface, providing a variety of habitats for amenity and biodiversity, for humans as well as wildlife.

Internally the same roof is supported on a carbon-sequestering structure made entirely of timber, which creates a single volume, within which the various cultural, educational, and exhibition spaces are organised.