A Clay Pit Transformed into Eco-Wonder

The Eden Project came out of the imagination of a British businessman Sir Timothy Smit. The idea was to transform an old clay pit in Cornwall that was no longer of economic use. After raising 80 million pounds, Smit assembled a team of people to build what has been described as “the 8th Wonder of the World.” The project consists of two biomes featuring a Rainforest and a Mediterranean forest. 

Construction began in1998. The architecture of the biomes in bubble shapes evolved since these shapes can settle on any surface, including irregular clay pits.

The Eden project’s design features biomimicry, as the biomes are inspired by honeybees, and the core building is inspired by sunflowers, to demonstrate how hundreds of flowers come together creating one big flower.

The Rainforest biome consists of tropical plants and is kept at tropical temperature and moisture. The rainforest research group contributes to advancing research to better understand rainforests, soil, and restoration ecology. The Mediterranean biome houses arid plants. 

Eden opened to the public in 2001. The biodomes provide an experimental venue to undertake research in a controlled environment. All the accomplishments at Eden are made possible with the utilization of clean sustainable energy from solar and wind power and extensively using recycled rainwater that was collected at the bottom of the quarry. Besides their plan to harness additional geothermal energy, the biomes are designed to cut energy use through super- insulation and natural lights.

The outside is a botanical garden that represents the temperate region of the world with plants such as tea, lavender, hops, hemp, and sunflower and plants and flowers from the local Cornwall region. 

The Core, opened in 2005, is the latest addition to the site. The Core provides an educational facility with classrooms and exhibition spaces designed to help communicate Eden’s central message about the relationship between people and nature. 

The Eden Project is aimed at educating people about the environment and encouraging a greater understanding and empathy with nature. In addition to fostering sustainability and regeneration on an old clay pit, The Eden Project has generated over a billion dollars for the Cornish economy.