Westcountry

The Eden Project, a large-scale environmental complex in Cornwall, has, in recent years, become one of the UK's leading tourist attractions.

Described as a "global garden for the 21st Century", the Project is located in a reclaimed China clay pit, situated just three miles from the town of St Austell. The complex, which cost about £140m to build, is a gateway to a sustainable future, and a dramatic setting in which to tell the fascinating story of mankind’s dependence on plants.

Most visitors to the attraction find that they need at least four hours to fully enjoy the site. There is a choice of reasonably-priced cafes, snack bars and also a restaurant, all offering a range of delicious food (most of it sourced in Cornwall).

In spring, visitors can enjoy the fantastic display bulbs (daffodils, crocuses and tulips) which start to bloom from February. On most days throughout the summer there are extra events to enjoy such as theatre, workshops, art displays, gardening talks, children’s events and live music.

Hidden within a 60-metre deep, 15-hectare former China clay pit (quarry) and surrounded outside by a dramatic horticultural landscape, Eden is home to the two largest conservatories (known as ‘Covered Biomes’) in the world. This spectacular global garden is a "Living Theatre of People and Plants" - dedicated to the appreciation and study of human dependence on plants.

The Rainforest Biome houses plants from the Tropical Islands, Malaysia, west Africa and Tropical South America. This Biome (which could hold the Tower of London) is 50 metres high, 110 metres wide and 240 metres long. There are plants and crops from tropical environments and rainforests, including bananas, coffee, balsa, mahogany, bromeliads (orchids), spices and tropical ferns. Each plant has its own story and the innovative signs and guides help visitors to enjoy those stories to the full.

The 'smaller' Mediterranean - 35 metres high and 140 metres long - showcases the cradle of civilisation around the Mediterranean (citrus, olives, herbs and vines), the rich variety of the South African regions (proteas and aloes), drifts of colourful Californian annuals (poppies and lupins) and shrubs of the Chapparal. There are also banks of fruits, vegetables and other crops. Wherever possible, bio-pest control is used. The Rainforest Biome is currently home to a number of mini predators, including Sulawesi White Eyes (tiny birds), tree frogs, geckos and bullfrogs, together with praying mantis and tiny predator insects.

The plants
The Biomes indoors and out contain over one million plants, more than 5,000 different species from around the world - some common and some rare. They are, however, all plants that we depend on every day. Where did the plants come from? Most were already in cultivation in Europe and came to Eden from other botanic gardens, research stations, private individuals or from commercial nurseries. Very few were collected from the wild. Many plants arrived as seeds or cuttings and were (and still are) grown at Eden's own nurseries. Any rare plants that live at Eden are there to tell a story and are gathered with the full support of governments, together with conservation and development organisations.

Structure of the Biomes
Building a lean-to 'greenhouse' on an uneven surface that changed shape was, according to Eden, very tricky. The solution came in the form of designs first introduced by famous architect, Buckminster Fuller - bubbles made from hexagons! The final design comprises a two-layer steel curved space frame, the hex-trihex, with an outer layer of hexagons (the largest of which is 11m across), plus the occasional pentagon and an inner layer of hexagons and triangles - all bolted together like a giant Meccano kit. Each hexagon is fitted with transparent foil 'windows', made from three layers of Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), in inflated, two-metre deep pillows. The pillows were installed by 22 professional abseilers - 'the sky monkeys'.

The original site, no more than a sterile wasteland as recently as 1999, led to the pioneering manufacturing of 85,000 tonnes of soil - made from a special 'recipe' devised by a joint team of Eden’s scientists and Reading University from China clay and composted waste.

Economic impact studies have shown that in its first sex years, Eden has generated more than £800m for the regional economy. Eden’s unprecedented popularity has led to the Project now employing around 500 staff - 85 per cent of whom come from the local area. The award-winning £15m education centre, known as the Core, was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen in June 2006.

Live events
Eden Live is Eden's events programme - an exciting and challenging blend of music, performance, workshops and talks based around four specific themes each year - and a wide range of stunning ticketed evening events for all tastes.

Eden's outdoor arena, which has a capacity of about 5,500, has already played host to a diverse range of events from the BBC's Songs of Praise and Last Night of the Proms, through to the hugely popular Eden Sessions.

These sessions have featured international artists such as Muse, Snow Patrol, Amy Winehouse, Rufus Wainwright, Moby, Keane, Basement Jaxx, Embrace, Pulp, Brian Wilson, Air, PJ Harvey, Primal Scream, Pet Shop Boys Ian Brown and Badly Drawn Boy. During 2005, Eden hosted the hugely successful Africa Calling as part of Live 8.

For more information about the Project, including directions and opening times, visit www.edenproject.com.