The Eden Project – Post-Industrial Rejuvenation
Through the frame, the famed Eden Project. Next to this was a photo of it being built for comparison. 1/250s 24mm F8.0 ISO 64.
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.
The complete site of the Eden Project. 1/400s 24mm F5.6 ISO 64, three photo panoramic.
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.
The design of the buildings are modelled around nature, including this children’s’ play area. 1/320s 31mm F4.0 ISO 64.
A close up of the hexagonal structure that makes up the biomes. 1/125s 36mm F5.6 ISO 64.
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.
Inside the Rainforest Biome. 1/100s 24mm F4.0 ISO 64.
The upper levels of the Rainforest Biome even has a rope bridge similar to many of those built by people in their environments. 1/160s 26mm F4.0 ISO 250.
Being up high gives you a good view across the canopy. 1/160s 35mm F4.0 ISO 64.
The tropics produce many hanging flowers & fruits, many of which are brightly coloured to attract pollinating insects. 1/60s 70mm F4.0 ISO 400.
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.
Artwork installations are built to draw attention to certain issues. Scrap metal has been used to produce this orangutan which are under threat from deforestation. 1/60s 31mm F4.0 ISO 250.
Educational installations help paint a picture of why certain crops are important and the impact they have on people’s livelihoods. 1/125s 105mm F5.6 ISO 100.
Tropical Chestnuts stand out for their deep, vivid, velvet red with their black fruits. 1/200s 105mm F5.6 ISO 200.
The Rainforest Biome has a large waterfall, notice the plants growing vertically on either side. 1/8s 24mm F10 ISO 64.
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.
The Mediterranean Biome isn’t as large but there is still plenty to look at and even has its own bar & café. 1/250s 24mm F8.0 ISO 64.
Effort is made to keep out the local wildlife, but if you look carefully you can see the wren perched on top of the wicker basket singing away. Small insects also get in which much help with pollination. 1/500s 65mm F4.0 ISO 250.
Grapes are one of the familiar fruits on display. 1/100s 105mm F5.6 ISO 160.
The bronze statues of Dionysus and his female maenad followers makes for an impressive display amongst the grapevines. 1/60s 35mm F8.0 ISO 100.
The vivid colours of the Kangaroo paw are a feast for the eyes. 1/40s 45mm F5.6 ISO 64.
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.
The outside gardens celebrate the wild flora of Cornwall as well as explore how plants make up part of our favourite works of fiction. 1/60s 62mm F4.0 ISO 320.
A new feature outdoors shows off plants from the Korean Peninsula. 1/160s 38mm F5.6 ISO 64.
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.
If you are a thrill seeker with a bit of extra money you can take a zipwire that runs you over the roof of the biomes. 1/320s 70mm F8.0 ISO 64, two photo panoramic.
<Zip wire 1/320s 70mm F8.0 ISO 64 two photo pano>
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.
Hopefully I will make it to a rainforest in the wild, but at least the Eden project has given me a taste of what that would be like. 1/100s 24mm F5.6 ISO 64.
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