Living Planet

The first time I was taken to the Institute of Natural Sciences when I was seven is a visit I’ll never forget; that herd of dinosaurs in that 19th-century glass and iron building created indelible memories. That reaction is what the museum hopes to provoke with its new permanent exhibit called “Living Planet”. The “modern” building extensions are 70 years old, so the Royal Institute has been renovating the interiors over the past few years, highlighting the natural light which pervades the buildings and extending the digital capabilities of the exhibitions to create an emotional bond between the visitor and the subject matter. “Living Planet” celebrates biodiversity. Going through some of the 37 million specimens in its reserves, the curators chose 850 to populate the new exhibit, which underlines the interdependence between the different species before exploring both the natural and man-made disruptions that threaten worldwide biodiversity.