Diversity, the CSIRO National Collections Building

AT A GLANCE

Sense of place: a world-class research facility evoking nature. An instantly recognisable façade inspired by Australian species.

Unified vision: brings together integrated vaults, curation facilities, DNA labs, and shared staff spaces to foster collaboration.

Accessible preservation: enables safe, frequent interaction between users and specimens, minimising contamination risks.

Championing collaboration, efficiency and scientific innovation, this world-leading research facility for Australia’s national science agency is purpose-built to house over 13 million irreplaceable plant, insect and animal specimens.

Located in Canberra, the Australian capital, on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)’s vision for Diversity, the title for the National Collections Building, was to create a facility that balances accessibility and protection while fostering innovation. The design also unifies previously dispersed experts and collections into a single building.

Reflecting the region’s landscapes, our design for the Diversity building embraces biomorphic forms with a gentle, curved exterior and nature-inspired interiors. 

The building’s perforated façade casts patterns of unique Australian species like the cuckoo wasp, wattle flower and Mardi Gras cockroach across floors. 

This subtly educates visitors and reinforces the building’s purpose — to preserve and expand our understanding of biodiversity for future generations. 

At the heart of the state-of-the-art facility is the Curation Lab, CSIRO’s first integrated laboratory and workplace designed for hands-on specimen research. This purpose-built environment brings researchers closer to the collections while providing specialised areas for analysis, preservation and collaboration. 

Through global collaboration and expert consultation, the design incorporates world-class containment and conservation techniques.

Innovative features include chemical-free decontamination facilities and a Digitisation Lab, where specimens are ​‘born digital’ — immediately integrated into a digital archive — for global research. This landmark facility sets a new international standard for collection management, safeguarding Australia’s unique biodiversity for future generations while advancing scientific discovery.