Eden Project
The Eden Project (Cornish: Edenva) is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, located 2 km (1.2 mi) from the town of St Blazey and 5 km (3 mi) from the larger town of St Austell.
| Eden Project | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Multiple greenhouse complex |
| Architectural style | Inspired by James T. Baldwin's Pillow Dome |
| Location | St Blazey, Cornwall, England |
| Coordinates | 50°21′43″N 4°44′41″W |
| Completed | May 2000 |
| Opened | 17 March 2001 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel frame and thermoplastic |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Grimshaw Architects |
| Structural engineer | Anthony Hunt and Associates |
| Services engineer | Arup |
The complex is dominated by two huge enclosures consisting of adjoining domes that house thousands of plant species, and each enclosure emulates a natural biome. The biomes consist of hundreds of hexagonal and pentagonal ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) inflated cells supported by geodesic tubular steel domes. The larger of the two biomes simulates a rainforest environment (and is the largest indoor rainforest in the world) and the second, a Mediterranean environment. The attraction also has an outside botanical garden which is home to many plants and wildlife native to Cornwall and the UK in general; it also has many plants that provide an important and interesting backstory, for example, those with a prehistoric heritage.
There are plans to build an Eden Project North in the seaside town of Morecambe, Lancashire, with a focus on the marine environment.