Designs by Mother Nature

Ever wondered what inspired velcro? Or how Norman Foster's Gherkin or the Japanese bullet train got their distinctive shapes? The answers are, respectively, burdock thistles, the Venus Flower Basket Sponge and the beak of a mallard duck. This intriguing exhibition brings together artefacts, photos and videos to look at how a variety of designs have been inspired by nature. The exhibits – brought together to designs by FAT Architecture – are themed by form, function and the future, which it is suggested might include plants bioengineered to provide light.