the june issue of renaissance news came out at the start of last week but we were so tied up with enterprising britain that we’ve only just got round to blogging it. the centrespread, shown above, documents the opening of the rotunda museum - the latest renaissance project to achieve completion.

the rotunda is one of britain’s oldest, and probably finest, purpose-built museums and has just received a multi-million pound revamp to bring it into the C21st and restore it to its original purpose as a geology museum. it was originally built in 1828 to communicate the theories of william smith ‘the father of english geology’ - a character who has been somewhat forgotten by the general public but is one of britain’s scientific heroes. the new rotunda makes explicit the links between geology and oil and gas exploration as well as having plenty of dinosaur bones and fossils. i guess i don’t need to point out that james’s design for the centerspread takes its inspiration from ammonites.

photography of the museum and official opening by tony batholomew.