World of the British bee comes to Kew in 56 foot sculpture called 'The Hive'

The world of the British bee has landed in Kew in the form of a 56 foot sculpture called 'The Hive'

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew hosts will unveil the installation at Kew Gardens on June 18.

It twists out of the ground in a shape suggestive of a swarm of bees.

this magnificent, ever changing space will stand as a visual symbol of the pollinators’ role in feeding humanity and the challenges facing bees today. Illuminating talks, tours, activities and films will fill the Gardens, showing visitors how they too can make a difference.

Visitors will be drawn into The Hive via a lush and vibrant wild flower meadow as though they are bees returning to the hive.

Inside, thousands of flickering LED lights will bring this 40 tonne lattice structure to life, while an orchestral arrangement sets the mood.

After discovering that bees hum in the key of C, a beautiful, complementary symphony of vocals and cello was composed and recorded (and released as an album), to create a calming, meditative soundscape within The Hive, inspired by the deep visceral hum of bees.

Triggered by real-time activity within a living beehive located nearby in the Gardens, the sound and light intensity within the space will change as the energy levels in the real hive fluctuate, giving visitors an experiential insight into the life of a bee colony.

As dusk falls, the hypnotic pulse of the delicately glowing lights will make the planned series of ‘Hive Lates’ a must-see during September.

Visitors to The Hive will find themselves absorbed in nature via an immersive journey through a constantly changing space triggered by signals from living bees.