UK-based Lazenby Design has been appointed to design the new Evolution Museum in Athens, Greece.

Scheduled to open in 2010, the 4,000sq m museum will be located at the city’s Attica Zoological Park.

The museum will house both outdoor and indoor exhibits, including immersive prehistoric environments, creature models, palaeontology displays and animated interpretive AV exhibits.

The museum will chart the history of the planet from early organisms through the dinosaur era, to the rise of mammals and the ascent of humans.

Lazenby Design’s creative director, David Lazenby, said: “This will be the first exhibit of its kind in Greece and, while most museums tend to focus only on the dinosaurs and other creatures, we will take our visitors on a thrilling, multi-sensory journey.

“Together with engaging, interpretive and audio visual displays it will make for a meaningful, educational and exciting experience.”

The museum will be operated by Athens-based Attica Thematic Park, which also operates the zoo.

The Attica Zoological Park first opened in 2000 and has expanded rapidly since its launch. The zoo attracted 277,000 visitors during 2007.