It forms the centerpiece of the so-called "Complejo de la Evolución Humana" (Human Evolution Compound), comprising a convention center, the CENIEH research institution, and the museum itself.

The demolition of the barracks in the 20th century left a significant, purposeless void used as a car park; not until 2000 was the decision made to build a museum on human evolution in its place.

Navarro was chosen as the architect after an international competition where his design won over others made by Cruz y Ortiz, Steven Holl, Arata Isozaki and Jean Nouvel.

[4] These 10 inhabitants of the museum represent: Also on this floor is the reproduction of the stern of HMS Beagle on which Darwin made his nearly 5-year trip around the world, including his stopover in the Galapagos Islands.

Level 2 displays three main ecosystems of human evolution: the jungle, savannah, and tundra-steppe of the last glaciation