Animal Materials & Architecture

The Festival of Materials & Making - Kings College London

Visitors are invited to explore one of the gems of King’s College London: the Museum of Life Sciences. Tucked away in the Hodgkin building, the eclectic collection brings to light the wonders of materials and making in the natural world.

For half a billion years animals have been making non-living structures to protect their bodies, have sex, catch their food and provide habitation in which to live. They exploit different forms and properties of materials, sometimes of the same material, for different uses. Many examples show parallels with human ‘making’, and while some animal-made materials are used directly by humans for various purposes, others have inspired the invention of materials or objects that mimic their properties.

This exhibition of Animal Materials and Making demonstrates the wide range of ways in which animals make and/or use materials. The use of these materials by man is also considered. Along side the exhibiton, visitors are invited to take part in activities and chat to the expert team on hand who can help reveal some of the marvels of the collcetion. As an added bonus, beeswax candle making and honey tasting will be taking place in the afternoon of Wednesday 9th November.