Path Design creates Natural History Museum retail spaces

The second of three new catering and retail spaces created by Path Design will open at London’s Natural History Museum on 27 July, and details are emerging about a third high-end restaurant space.

Earth Shop and Deli Café (pictured) will open within the museum’s Red Zone, taking inspiration from the permanent exhibition Earth Galleries.

This follows the June opening of the North Hall Café also designed by the group.

Work will start on the highend Green Zone space in September and is expected to be completed by December.

All three spaces are part of the same plan to ‘bring clarity to each distinct offer, so visitors can understand where they are going’, according to Path Design director Jon Muskett.

In the new Red Zone offer, the existing café and shop will change places, moving the café nearer to the Exhibition Road entrance which is to become entirely pedestrianised.

The two Red Zone retail spaces will sit side by side. ‘You’ll be able to crosspollinate, exiting from the café to the retail space and viceversa,’ says Muskett.

The Deli Café will have more seating and counters which are to incorporate a strata-layering theme. A 10m-long marbleclad counter will take its cue from the ‘sedimentary earth story’ of the Earth Gallery, Muskett says. He adds that walnut timber has been used ‘to give warmth’.

The Earth Shop will have mineral displays at its entrance and continue the linear strata theme across display and merchandise equipment.