The Natural History Museum gave EW a sneak preview of its newly designed Hintze Hall space. Available for events and exhibitions, the hall is the gateway to the institution’s collections and galleries.
Reopened on 14 July, the space features new specimens and exhibits that reflect the story of evolution, diversity in the world today, and human’s role in protecting the planet.
“We’ve has some great exhibitions here,” Robert Wetherell, head of venue hire at NHM told EW. “We’re looking to be more visible on the international map. There aren’t many countries that rent out their facilities like we do in the UK. I even had a request to speak in Japan about hiring cultural institutions. London & Partners help us out a lot with being a port of call for exhibition bookings.
“Shows like IMEX are also valuable for promoting London and our venue. We are particularly popular with Americans, often via Unique Venues of London.
“We’ve been doing this for 30 years and we’ve learnt a lot in terms of logistics, As a museum we can’t shut all day, so there are challenges for customers. However, we make the most of the time, and have constructed huge staging and seating areas, as well as catering areas in less than an hour.”
A blue whale skeleton (pictured) is now Hintze Hall’s central display, taking on the role held by the much-loved diplodocus cast for the last 35 years.
