BBC Earth Experience

Tom Bird

wooarchitects completes BBC Earth Experience exhibition building in Earls Court, London

• Architects

wooarchitects has designed a 3,500 metre squared contemporary exhibition building to house the recently-opened BBC Earth immersive exhibition in Earl’s Court, London.

Appointed by main contractor ES Global and working with Mooneye Productions and Live Nation, wooarchitects delivered the design for the immersive exhibition which allows visitors to encounter original BBC Earth footage at scale. Using state-of-the-art digital screen technology, it is accompanied by bespoke narration from Sir David Attenborough.

Built within the space of six months, the demountable nature of the building encapsulates the ethos of the BBC Earth Experience. Materials used to create the space will be reused and recycled at the end of the exhibition, and reassembled into a building for another purpose. While the structure is fully transformable, it has a feeling of permanence and presence needed to welcome visitors for the duration of two years to the Earl’s Court area. The frontage to the building is planted with native species which will also be repurposed at the end of the exhibition. Clad with timber, the facade and canopy have been architecturally fashioned to act as a place-marking billboard and wayfinding for the experience.

Located on a meanwhile-use site, as part of the Earls Court Development Corporation land, wooarchitects were also commissioned to design and develop the public realm area leading up to the exhibition. The large open brick walkway invites visitors to the site, with bespoke planting and lighting with dedicated food and drinks. The decorative flower hoarding creates an exciting and vibrant community hub ready to deliver future seasonal events.

Project leader from wooarchitects, Celia Richardson said, “Despite the challenges posed by a demanding timescale and strict environmental considerations, we were able to deliver a lightweight, demountable structure that meets high standards of visitor experience, sustainability and innovation.”