{"id":780,"date":"2022-12-21T09:48:19","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T09:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/armourcoat.com\/en\/?post_type=case_study&p=780"},"modified":"2025-08-27T13:51:39","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T12:51:39","slug":"cocoon","status":"publish","type":"case_study","link":"https:\/\/armourcoat.com\/en\/case-study\/cocoon\/","title":{"rendered":"The Natural History Museum, London"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Natural History Museum, London<\/h1> \n
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Armuralia Polished Plaster finish embodies organic forms of cocoon silk at the Natural History Museum, London<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n Location:<\/strong>\n Natural History Museum, London <\/div>\n \n
\n Architect:<\/strong>\n Anna Maria Indrio, C.F. M\u00f8ller <\/div>\n \n \n <\/div>\n \n \n \n
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A Monumental Cocoon: A New Architectural Icon<\/h2> \n

A new architectural icon for the capital, this extraordinary design features a vast, free-standing structure within a glass atrium, taking the form of a monumental cocoon\u2014breathtaking in its originality and creative brilliance. The groundbreaking eight-storey-high Darwin Cocoon houses a unique collection of 17 million insects and 3 million plants, gathered over the last 300 years by renowned scientists including Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Sir Hans Sloane. This awe-inspiring building completes the Museum\u2019s life science complex, the Darwin Centre, following the completion of the first phase in 2002.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Natural Elegance and Innovation<\/h2> \n
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The response of the architectural design team at C.F. M\u00f8ller, led by partner Anna Maria Indrio, was to create an engaging form inspired by the organic elegance of nature. The surface and texture needed to embody this essence, and so the subtle sheen of ivory-coloured Armuralia<\/a> was selected. The Polished Plaster’s<\/a> delicate surface, with its intersecting network of \u2018silk threads\u2019 criss-crossing the cocoon, offers both movement and a visual framework for the structure’s openings and niches.<\/div>\n
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Armourcoat was specified to deliver a unique solution that combined both insulation and the final decorative layer. The cocoon performs a crucial protective role, providing thermal mass to regulate internal temperature fluctuations\u2014vital for preserving the museum’s precious specimens. In addition, the structure houses cutting-edge laboratories for 250 international scientists and features an interactive exhibition for visitors.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Unique design and technical solutions<\/h2> \n

Unique design and technical solutions<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Products<\/h2>\n
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\n \n Polished Plaster Selector Range <\/span>\n \n \n Armuralia <\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n
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\n \n Order Sample <\/a>\n \n \n Specify Finish <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1951,"template":"","case_study_category":[12,115],"class_list":["post-780","case_study","type-case_study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","case_study_category-commercial","case_study_category-education"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Natural History Museum, London - Armourcoat UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Natural History Museum Darwin Centre cocoon, London\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/armourcoat.com\/en\/case-study\/cocoon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Natural History Museum, London - Armourcoat UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Natural History Museum Darwin Centre cocoon, London\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/armourcoat.com\/en\/case-study\/cocoon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Armourcoat UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-27T12:51:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/armourcoat.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/armourcoat-4081.1-en-projects-cocoon-images-05_cocoon_5_large.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1333\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/armourcoat.com\\\/en\\\/case-study\\\/cocoon\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/armourcoat.com\\\/en\\\/case-study\\\/cocoon\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Natural History Museum, London - 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