The Eden Project – Post-Industrial Rejuvenation
The Eden Project made international news this year as the site for this years’ G7 Summit between world leaders. Based in St Austell in Cornwall it’s impressive looks and large outdoor space make it the perfect venue for events. However, if you told a local thirty years ago that that would be the case, they probably would have laughed at you and for good reason.
Post-Industrial Britain has not been kind to many areas of former industry, with the landscape scarred by the plethora of abandoned mines & quarries, leaving behind a local economy often devoid of jobs. As time has rolled on, more and more creative ideas have been put forward to rejuvenate these areas into something of beauty to be enjoyed by all. In the late 1990s a group of dreamers sat discussing such a project over pints, drawing basic sketches on napkins for something that many would have deemed impossible. Taking a sixty-metre-deep abandoned China clay pit devoid of soil & plant life and turn it into a green paradise that explored our connection to the natural world.
Thankfully enough people were convinced, and enough money secured to begin building in 1998 and for it to open its doors to the public, complete, in 2001. There were many challenges in building such large structures in the available space and inspiration was taken from nature to create the hex-covered domes we see today. These were incredibly light yet retained heat and let in UV light in the most efficient way possible. This was key as so much of the Eden Project is centered around sustainability. Much of the water used to keep everything green comes from recycled rainwater collected in site and they use one hundred percent renewable energy for power. They have even begun to dig a geothermal well 4,500m below the surface to make their energy usage even more sustainable.
With 1,200 different species & cultivars, the most famous attraction on site is the Rainforest Biome which is currently the large greenhouse in the world, and it can easily take you an hour to walk through it. The plants come from all over the tropics from South American, Africa, Asia and the smaller tropical islands. As you enter you start out at the bottom with the bushes and vines and gradually work your way up into the canopy where you can look out across the treetops. Cleverly, space hasn’t been wasted and many plants are actually planted on steep vertical slopes to great effect. There’s plenty of other features to keep your interest in waterfalls, art installations and mockup buildings that are part of the human narrative weaved into the experience. Learn about why palm oil has become such a popular crop or the difficulties of growing vanilla in Madagascar. Plants aren’t just green things we pass by on a walk, they are a critical part of our everyday lives and what some people depend on for prosperity. The Eden Project does its best to bring that point home.
The Mediterranean Biome is not as big as the Rainforest, but it actually has 1,300 different species of plant & cultivars from Europe, California, South Africa & Western Australia. Things are much less green in here as plants are adapted to more arid conditions where water is in shorter supply. It’s certainly the dome that feels more familiar with architectural inspiration from Spain as well as the fruits associated with the regions such as oranges & grapes. My favourite element were the bronze statues of Dionysus, the god of the grapevine as well as the god of insanity, and his female Maenad followers amongst the grapevines themselves. There’s also a truly staggering amount of colour here with, for example, the Kangaroo paw from Australia in vivid reds, pinks, oranges & yellows. It’s worth going around both biomes a couple of times if possible and try to get there early before the crowds get too big.
Don’t forget to explore the gardens outside either, there’s plenty to show off the wild side of Cornwall as well as other parts of the world including a new section dedicated to the plants of the Korean Peninsula. I imagine this part is less impressive in winter, but in spring and summer there’s as much to see outside as there is inside.
Twenty years on the Eden project is still growing from strength to strength rather than just standing still. During the winter a landslip occurred that inflicted damage to part of the site. Instead of just repairing everything back to how it was, they will incorporate it and soon there will be a large outdoor waterfall for all visitors to enjoy. The success has inspired many other Eden Projects all over the world that will be built during the next decade. China, Australia and even Morecambe in North England (amongst others), will have sites dedicated to a part of the natural world most pertinent to the area. The conceptual artwork alone looks incredible and I hope one day I will be able to visit them all on my journeys.
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Don’t forget that if you really enjoyed your time at the Eden Project you can return again as many times as you like for free in the twelve months after you purchase your ticket as it is actually an annual pass. Tricky if you live a long way away like I do, but for those more local you have a great opportunity to explore at different times of the year. It truly is a landmark success, proving that derelict land can be transformed back into something that not only provides money for the local economy, but a positive contribution to the publics’ understanding of the natural world. Well worth a visit and I hope it continues to inspire many people for generations to come in taking an interest in plant life and the protecting our natural world.
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