Tim Smit, a British businessman and entrepreneur, originally conceived of the Eden project and built a team, including expert horticulturist Philip McMillan Browse and architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, to realize it. Workers began collecting plants for the biospheres in 1998 and started constructing the site itself in February 1999, in the process moving 1.8 million tons of soil. The Eden Project opened its doors to the public in March 2001. The Core opened in 2005.
It is much more than a tourist attraction. A focus on sustainable development is central to the Eden Project. In addition, the project seeks to remind people of their connection to the natural world and of how dependent we are on it. According to the BBC, the project's mission is to promote the understanding and responsible management of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources, leading towards a sustainable future for all.
The two biomes are made of a hi-tech, transparent, non-stick foil that is very light but also strong and durable. The rainforest biome is the largest at 240m long, 55m high and 110m wide. This biome recreates a tropical climate with plants from South-East Asia, South America and parts of Africa.
The other biome, the Mediterranean biome, is 35m high and recreates a warm, temperate climate with plants from the Mediterranean, South Africa, Western Australia, central Chile and some parts of North America.
As of June 2010, prices at the door are £16 for adults, £6 for children, £39 for families and no charge for children under 5. There is a discount if you book online. Prices are £15 for adults, £5 for children and £36 for families. Walkers and cyclists also get a discount. Adults pay £12 pounds, children £7, children are free and families pay £24. There are also discounts for students and seniors.
The creators of the the Eden Project envisage it evolving naturally, along with its plants, and are ruling nothing out. The biome panels, for example, are easily detachable in case a more efficient material is developed. In the short term, the Eden Trust are planning a new education center and a new biome, this one recreating the Dry Tropics.
