The 17-metre 50-tonne metal structure is designed as a honeycomb, with a globe-shaped hollow in the middle and includes a glass platform so visitors can walk inside the immersive experience.

The Hive, designed by artist Wolfgang Buttress, was originally built for Milan’s 2016 Expo, which focused on feeding the planet, and secured the Landscape Institute Award for its immersive impact.

On his award-winning pavilion, Wolfgang Buttress said in an interview with Dezeen, “I think a lot of the pavilions have had technical problems,” he added. “One of the reasons for working with Stage One, who built this for me, was that we could build everything in parts over in York and then transport it over here, so we were in complete control.”

Usually seen as a temporary structure, this installation was the first Expo pavilion to be repurposed and given a life beyond the project, delivering on its sustainability messaging of protecting the environment. The Hive now sits within a wildflower meadow at The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew Gardens, and the LED lighting is powered by a neighbouring beehive, replicating the activity.