The Eden Project is a large-scale environmental complex in the county of Cornwall in England in the United Kingdom. The project is located in a recycled china clay pit, located 1.25 miles (2 km) from the town of St Blazey and 3 miles (5 km) from the larger town of St Austell.
The Eden Project has quickly become one of the most popular visitor attractions in the United Kingdom. The complex includes two sets of giant interconnected transparent domes made of ETFE cushions, each emulating a natural biome, that house plant species from around the world. The first emulates a tropical environment, the other a warm temperate, mediterranean environment.
The project was conceived by Tim Smit and designed by the architect Nicholas Grimshaw and engineering firm Anthony Hunt and Associates, with Davis Langdon carrying out the project management, Sir Robert McAlpine and Alfred McAlpine undertaking the construction and MERO to design and build the domes. The project took 2½ years to construct and opened to the public on 17 March 2001.
Biomes
At the bottom of the pit are two covered biomes:
* The Humid Tropics Biome, which is the largest greenhouse in the world, covers 1.559 hectares (3.9 acres) and measures 180 feet (55 m) high, 328 feet (100 m) wide and 656 feet (200 m) long. It is used for tropical plants, such as fruiting banana trees, coffee, rubber and giant bamboo, and is kept at a tropical temperature.
* The Warm Temperate Biome covers 0.654 hectares (1.6 acres) and measures 115 feet (35 m) high, 213 feet (65 m) wide and 443 feet (135 m) long. It houses familiar warm temperate and arid plants such as olives and grape vines and various pieces of sculpture.
The Outdoor Biome represents the temperate regions of the world with plants such as tea, lavender, hops and hemp. A third covered biome representing the dry tropics is planned for the future.
The biomes are constructed from a tubular steel space-frame (hex-tri-hex) with mostly hexagonal external cladding panels made from the thermoplastic ETFE. It was decided very early on that glass was out of the question, being too heavy and potentially dangerous. The cladding panels themselves are created from several layers of thin UV-transparent ETFE film, which are sealed around their perimeter and inflated to create a large cushion. The resulting cushion acts like a thermal blanket to the structure. The ETFE material is resistant to most stains, which simply wash off in the rain. If required, cleaning can be performed by abseilers. Although the ETFE is susceptible to punctures, these can be easily fixed with ETFE tape. The structure is completely self-supporting, with no internal supports, and takes the form of a geodesic structure. The panels vary in size up to 9 metres (29.5 ft) across, with the largest at the top of the structure.
The ETFE technology was supplied and installed by Vector Foiltec who are also responsible for ongoing maintenance of the cladding. The steel spaceframe and cladding package (with Vector Foiltec as ETFE subcontractor) was designed, supplied and installed by MERO (UK) PLC, who also jointly developed the overall scheme geometry with the architect, Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners. The entire project was managed by McAlpine Joint Venture.
Environmental aspects
The domes provide for a very wide range of growing conditions; the climates are maintained differently between the domes, and in addition, the domes are installed on the side of quarry, and the higher points of the domes are kept at higher temperatures. A dazzling array of plants are on display.
Known medicinal uses for the plants are listed alongside them. Part of the Eden Project is serious environmental and educational study, aiming to safeguard our planet and prevent mankind destroying benefits provided by nature by showcasing the interdependence of plants and people. Large displays and "hands on" attractions aim to be both fun and educational, with new developments such as the Eden Education Centre proving to be a place to have fun, yet learn important things about our planet and our survival.
The Eden Project is an environmentally aware project. There are many attractions and information signs on global warming and why plants are so important to our way of life (shown in an animation displaying what our world would be like without plant life). The Eden Project recycles as much as possible, with all litter areas split into five or more compartments for plastic, food, paper and other general waste, which is all recycled. The massive amounts of water required to create the humid conditions of the Tropical Biome, as well as to serve the toilet facilities, are all sanitized rain water that would otherwise collect at the bottom of the quarry. In fact the only mains water used is for hand washing and for cooking. They have Green Tariff Electricity — the energy comes from one of the many wind turbines in Cornwall, which were amongst the first in Europe.
The "Eden Shop" also boasts a huge array of recycled waste, such as pencils made of plastic vending machine cups, and mouse mats made of old tyres or circuit boards, as well as "grow your own" kits.
In 2006 Eden announced that it was introducing mobile ticketing in order to save on paper and printing. Visitors can text a number and are sent a picture text of their ticket in return, which can be scanned at special gates. Additionally, UK taxpayers who agree to gift aid when buying their entrance ticket are offered a free annual membership.
Mr. Smit states that if the project becomes, or is merely seen to be, a theme park, then it has failed.
www.edenproject.co.uk 
