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Eden Project

The Eden Project
Eden project.JPG
General information
Type Multiple Greenhouse Complex
Architectural style Inspired by J. Baldwin's Pillow Dome
Location St Blazey, Cornwall, UK
Coordinates 50°21′43″N 4°44′41″W / 50.36194°N 4.74472°W / 50.36194; -4.74472Coordinates: 50°21′43″N 4°44′41″W / 50.36194°N 4.74472°W / 50.36194; -4.74472
Completed May 2000
Opened 17 March 2001
Technical details
Structural system Steel frame and thermoplastic
Design and construction
Architect Nicholas Grimshaw
Structural engineer Anthony Hunt and Associates
Services engineer Arup

The Eden Project (Cornish: Edenva) is a popular visitor attraction in Cornwall, England. Inside the two biomes are plants that are collected from many diverse climates and environments. The project is located in a reclaimed Kaolinite 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, Cornwall.

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, inflated, plastic cells supported by steel frames. The largest of the two biomes simulates a Rainforest environment 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.

The project was conceived by Tim Smit and designed by architect Nicholas Grimshaw and engineering firm Anthony Hunt and Associates (now part of Sinclair Knight Merz). Davis Langdon carried out the project management, Sir Robert McAlpine and Alfred McAlpine did the construction, MERO designed and built the biomes, and Arup was the services engineer, economic consultant, environmental engineer and transportation engineer. 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.


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