Eden Project: Difference between revisions

|location = [[St Blazey]], [[Cornwall]], England

The '''Eden Project''' ({{lang-langx|kw|Edenva}}) is a visitor attraction in [[Cornwall]], [[England]]. The project is located in a reclaimed [[china clay]] [[clay pit|pit]], located {{convert|2|km|abbr=on}} from the town of [[St Blazey]] and {{convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from the larger town of [[St Austell]].<ref name="osexp1">Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map 107 – Fowey, Looe & Lostwithiel''. {{ISBN|0-319-23708-7}}.</ref>

The complex is dominated by two huge enclosures consisting of adjoining domes that house thousands of plant [[species]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.edenproject.com/come-and-visit/whats-here/rainforest-biome/index.php | title = Rainforest Biome | publisher = Eden project | access-date = 11 October 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111024185941/http://www.edenproject.com/come-and-visit/whats-here/rainforest-biome/index.php | archive-date = 24 October 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref> and each enclosure emulates a natural [[biome]]. The biomes consist of hundreds of [[hexagon]]al and [[pentagon]]al ethylene tetrafluoroethylene ([[ETFE]]) inflated cells supported by [[Geodesic dome|geodesic tubular steel domes]]. The larger of the two biomes simulates a [[rainforest]] environment (and is the largest indoor rainforest in the world)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Morris |first1=Steven |title=Lizards, vines, papayas: working solo in the Eden Project during lockdown |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/may/08/working-solo-in-the-eden-project-cornwall-during-coronavirus-lockdown |website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=8 May 2020 |date=8 May 2020}}</ref> and the second, a [[Mediterranean climate|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..

The Eden Project is said to have contributed over £1&nbsp;billion to the Cornish economy.<ref name=personally>{{cite web |url= http://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/speaker/tim-smit-kbe-sir/ |title= Tim Smit KBE, Sir – Personally Speaking Bureau |access-date= 16 May 2016 |archive-date= 27 November 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171127201404/https://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/speaker/tim-smit-kbe-sir/ |url-status= dead }}</ref> In 2016, Eden became home to Europe's second-largest [[redwood]] forest (after the Giants Grove at Birr Castle, [[Birr Castle]], Ireland) when forty saplings of coast redwoods, ''[[Sequoia sempervirens]]'', which could live for 4,000 years and reach 115 metres in height, were planted there.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.edenproject.com/eden-story/our-ethos/redwood-conservation-project|title=Redwood conservation project|date=March 2016|website=Eden Project|access-date=13 May 2019|archive-date=13 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513103752/https://www.edenproject.com/eden-story/our-ethos/redwood-conservation-project|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The project was conceived by [[Tim Smit]] and [[Jonathan Ball (architect)|Jonathan Ball]], and designed by [[Grimshaw Architects]] and structural engineering firm [[Anthony Hunt Associates]] (now part of [[Sinclair Knight Merz]]). [[Davis Langdon]] carried out the project management, [[Sir Robert McAlpine]] and [[Alfred McAlpine]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.edenproject.com/whats-it-all-about/behind-the-scenes/our-history/index.php |title= Our history |publisher= Eden project |access-date= 27 September 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100611003612/http://www.edenproject.com/whats-it-all-about/behind-the-scenes/our-history/index.php |archive-date= 11 June 2010 |url-status= dead }}</ref> did the construction, [[Mero-Schmidlin|MERO]] jointly designed and built the biome steel structures, the [[ETFE]] pillows that build the façade were realized by [[Vector Foiltec]], and [[Arup Group Limited|Arup]] was the services engineer, economic consultant, environmental engineer and transportation engineer. [https://landuse.co.uk/what-we-do Land Use Consultants] led the masterplan and landscape design. The project took 2½ years to construct and opened to the public on 17 March 2001.

Grimshaw developed the geometry of the copper-clad roof in collaboration with a sculptor, Peter Randall-Page, and Mike Purvis of structural engineers [[Sinclair Knight Merz|SKM Anthony Hunts]]. It is derived from [[phyllotaxis]], which is the mathematical basis for nearly all plant growth; the "opposing spirals" found in many plants such as the seeds in a sunflower's head, [[pine cone]]s, and [[pineapple]]s. The copper was obtained from traceable sources, and the Eden Project is working with [[Rio Tinto Group(corporation)|Rio Tinto]] to explore the possibility of encouraging further traceable supply routes for metals, which would enable users to avoid metals mined unethically. The services and [[acoustics|acoustic]], mechanical, and electrical engineering design was carried out by [[Buro Happold]].

The Core is also home to art exhibitions throughout the year. A permanent installation entitled ''Seed'', by [[Peter Randall-Page]], occupies the anteroom. ''Seed'' is a large, 70 tonne egg-shaped stone installation, made of [[granite]] from [[De Lank Quarries|De Lank Quarry]] on [[Bodmin Moor]], standing some {{convert|13|ft}} tall and displaying a complex pattern of protrusions that are based upon the [[Fibonacci number#Nature|geometric and mathematical principles that underlie plant growth]].<ref>{{cite news |title= Granite seed is 'planted' at Eden |work=[[BBC News Online]] |date= 11 June 2007 |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6738783.stm |access-date= 25 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.edenproject.com/visit/whats-here/seed-sculpture |title= Seed sculpture by Peter Randall-Page |publisher= Eden Project |access-date= 25 February 2018 |quote= Made out of a single piece of granite, its surface has been carved with 1,800 nodes in the pattern of a Fibonacci spiral – the growth pattern found across the natural world in things like sunflowers, pine cones and ammonites}}</ref>

[[Grimshaw Architects|Grimshaw]] are the architects for the project, which is expected to cost £80 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/plans-80m-eden-project-north-15458954|title=Plans for £80m Eden Project North are unveiled|first=Damon|last=Wilkinson|date=23 November 2018|website=Manchestereveingnews.comm|access-date=21 December 2018}}</ref> The project is a partnership with the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, [[Lancaster University]], [[Lancashire County Council]], and [[Lancaster City Council]].<ref name="edenprojectnorth" /><ref name="indynorth" /> In December 2018, the four local partners agreed to provide £1 million to develop the idea, which allowed the development of an outline planning application for the project.<ref name="placenorthwest">{{cite web|url=https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/eden-project-north-secures-council-cash/|title=Place North West - Eden Project North secures council cash|date=19 December 2018|website=Placenorthwest.co.uk|access-date=21 December 2018}}</ref> It is expected that there will be 500 jobs created and 8,000 visitors a day to the site.<ref name="placenorthwest" />

In July 2023, new images were released depicting what the Dundee attraction would look which accompanied the planning permission documents for the new attraction which would be submitted by autumn 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Saunders |first=Tom |date=2023-07-13 |title=Eden Project will transform Dundee’sDundee's East Docks into £27m a year attraction |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/first-look-at-eden-project-dundee-which-is-set-to-bring-in-over-20m-a-year-0vm7z6f3s |access-date=2023-07-15 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref>

Since 2002, the Project has hosted a series of musical performances, called the Eden Sessions, usually held during the summer. The 2020 sessions were postponed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and were rescheduled as the 2022 sessions lineup.

The 2024 sessions will bewere headlined by [[Fatboy Slim]], [[Suede (band)|Suede]], [[Manic Street Preachers]], [[The National (band)|The National]], [[JLS]] and, [[Crowded House]], [[Rick Astley]], [[Tom Grennan]] and [[Paolo Nutini]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Indie rock legends The National announced for 2024 Eden Sessions |url=https://www.edenproject.com/media-relations/indie-rock-legends-the-national-announced-for-2024-eden-sessions#:~:text=The%20National%20are%20the%20fourth,artists%20will%20be%20announced%20soon. |website=Eden Project |publisher date=Eden10 November 2023 Project}}</ref>

|[[Pendulum (Australiandrum and bass band)|Pendulum]]

|[[Villagers (band)|Villagers]] and [[The Bees (English band)|The Bees]]

|Lealani and [[Far From Saints]]

The Eden Project has appeared in various television shows and films such as the [[James Bond (franchise)|James Bond]] film ''[[Die Another Day]]'', ''[[The Bad Education Movie]]'', in the [[Netflix]] series ''[[The Last Bus (TV series)|The Last Bus]]'', and in the [[CBeebies]] show ''Andy's Aquatic Adventure'' and in [[Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023|Armenia]]’s postcard in the ''[[Eurovision Song Contest 2023]]''.

* {{Official sitewebsite|http://www.edenproject.com/}}