It will be displayed at Kew – a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing 132 hectares of landscaped gardens – from June 2016.
The 17m (55.7ft) high, 40 tonne aluminium structure was inspired by British scientific research into the health of bees and their role in pollinating crops essential to human survival.
Visitors are taken on an experiential journey through the life of a bee colony, from an outside orchard and wildflower meadow into the hive itself, while orchestral buzzes and pulses fill the air.
More than 1,000 LED lights are illuminated within The Hive, changing in sound and light intensity to relay information triggered by vibration sensors in a real beehive.
The pavilion was created in collaboration with architects BDP, engineers Simmonds Studio and constructors Stage One, who built the structure from 115,000 individual components.
“We are truly delighted to announce The Hive’s move to Kew, both for its magnificent aesthetic appeal and for the resonance it has with our work – I can think of no better home for this remarkable marriage of architecture and science,” said Richard Deverell, director of the scientific organisation Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
“The Hive creates a powerful, immersive space for us to explore the urgent issues we face in relation to pollinators, their intimate relationships with plants and their vital role in helping us feed a rapidly growing population. To be able to bring those stories alive here at Kew – a centre of scientific knowledge and expertise and one of the planet’s most biodiverse city landscapes – is a true honour.”
Kew scientists will use The Hive as a platform to share their research into the life of bees and how they can be protected.
"It is fantastic that more of the UK public will have the opportunity to experience The Hive for themselves in the perfect setting at Kew,” said Lord Maude, the UK’s minister of state for trade and investment.
“The Milan Expo focused on sustainable ways of feeding a growing global population whilst protecting our environment. I cannot think of a better home for it now that the Expo is over.”
The pavilion explores life within a beehive Credit: Wolfgang Buttress
Kew Gardens receives 1.5m visits every year Credit: Daniel Case
PROJECT PROFILE: Milan Expo 2015 The team behind the upcoming Milan Expo is putting the finishing touches to the world
fair before its debut in May. Masterplaned by a team consisting of Jacques Herzog, Mark Rylander, Ricky Burdett, Stefano Boeri, and William McDonough, each pavillion will range from 400sq m (4,305sq ft) to 6,000sq m (64,583 sq ft), with around 50 per cent of the Expo area occupied by pavilions. 35 per cent of the area is dedicated to external space, while 15 per cent comprises a green perimeter around the expo site. In addition, the site will include a large artificial lake surrounded by 20 pavilions representing each of the Italian regions, a 12,000-seat amphitheatre and a 6,000 seat auditorium.
Pavilion design:
Azerbaijan - Simmetrico Network
Slovenia - SoNo Arhitekti
Israel - Knafo Klimor-Design
Czech Republic - Chybik + Kristof
Spain - b720
US - Biber Architects
Vietnam - Vo Trong Nghai
China - Daniel Libeskind/Studio Link-Arc
Italy - Nemesi & Partners
Austria - team.breathe.austria
UK - Wolfgang Buttress
Thailand - The Office of Bangkok Architects (OBA)
Iran - Naqsh,E,Jahan-Pars (NJP)
UAE - Foster + Partners
Location: Italy
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It will be displayed at Kew – a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing 132 hectares of landscaped gardens – from June 2016.
The 17m (55.7ft) high, 40 tonne aluminium structure was inspired by British scientific research into the health of bees and their role in pollinating crops essential to human survival.
Visitors are taken on an experiential journey through the life of a bee colony, from an outside orchard and wildflower meadow into the hive itself, while orchestral buzzes and pulses fill the air.
More than 1,000 LED lights are illuminated within The Hive, changing in sound and light intensity to relay information triggered by vibration sensors in a real beehive.
The pavilion was created in collaboration with architects BDP, engineers Simmonds Studio and constructors Stage One, who built the structure from 115,000 individual components.
“We are truly delighted to announce The Hive’s move to Kew, both for its magnificent aesthetic appeal and for the resonance it has with our work – I can think of no better home for this remarkable marriage of architecture and science,” said Richard Deverell, director of the scientific organisation Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
“The Hive creates a powerful, immersive space for us to explore the urgent issues we face in relation to pollinators, their intimate relationships with plants and their vital role in helping us feed a rapidly growing population. To be able to bring those stories alive here at Kew – a centre of scientific knowledge and expertise and one of the planet’s most biodiverse city landscapes – is a true honour.”
Kew scientists will use The Hive as a platform to share their research into the life of bees and how they can be protected.
"It is fantastic that more of the UK public will have the opportunity to experience The Hive for themselves in the perfect setting at Kew,” said Lord Maude, the UK’s minister of state for trade and investment.
“The Milan Expo focused on sustainable ways of feeding a growing global population whilst protecting our environment. I cannot think of a better home for it now that the Expo is over.”
The pavilion explores life within a beehive Credit: Wolfgang Buttress
Kew Gardens receives 1.5m visits every year Credit: Daniel Case
RELATED STORIES
UK pavilion The Hive wins gold at Milan Expo awards POSTED 02 Nov 2015. BY Kim Megson One of the top architecture prizes at the 2015 Milan Expo has been awarded to the Hive;
the UK pavilion created by artist Wolfgang Buttress, engineers Simmonds Studio and
architects BDP.
TEA SATE Academy Day coming to Milan Expo in September POSTED 13 Aug 2015. BY Tom Anstey The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) is holding another of its SATE (Storytelling,
Architecture, Technology, Experience) Academy Days in September, this time hosted at
the 2015 Milan Expo.
FEATURE: Milan Expo 2015: Milan Expo 2015 POSTED 01 Jun 2015. It’s has its share of problems, but the Milan
Expo is now in full swing. Magali Robathan
and Alice Davis take a look around and
speak to some of the designers
Buttress and BDP's Hive pavilion generates buzz ahead of Milan Expo POSTED 15 Apr 2015. BY Jason Holland Exploring the crucial role of a bee colony in the global ecosystem, artist Wolfgang Buttress
and architects BDP have created a hive structure to serve as the centrepiece of the UK’s
pavilion at the upcoming Milan Expo.
Numbers from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, (ALVA) show that Royal attractions
saw a huge increase in visitor numbers during 2023 – the coronation year of King Charles III.
Off the back of the success of the first round of Everyday Heritage Grants in 2022, Historic
England is funding 56 creative projects that honour the heritage of working-class England.
Universal has revealed it will be adding new Harry Potter attractions, alongside Super Nintendo
and How to Train Your Dragon worlds to its Florida resort.
