The Eden Project is a visitor attraction built in a worked-out china clay pit near St Austell, and it is run by the Eden Trust as a charity. In Kernewek it is Edenva. The idea dates to 1996, the domes were built between 1998 and 2001, and the full site opened on 17 March 2001.
The biomes
Two geodesic domes clad in hexagonal panels hold the collections: one a rainforest, the other a Mediterranean landscape, both under cover in a valley where clay was once dug. The project was conceived by Tim Smit and Jonathan Ball and designed by Grimshaw Architects, and the pit itself is part of the architecture.
Since opening
The site was a filming location for the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day, and it hosted the Live 8 Africa Calling concert on 2 July 2005. The World Pasty Championships have been held here since 2012.
Sources
Last checked: 2026-10-11