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Eden Project (Great Britain)

Eden Project

In November of this year as part of my journey across Cornwall I happened to visit the “Paradise Garden” more known as the Eden Project. It is a botanic garden with several greenhouses, in which tropical and Mediterranean climate zones are created. As contrite as it may seem, I was impressed more not with bananas, but with coffee trees; for I am a lover of coffee, yet I had not seen until that time how coffee grows and how coffee bushes look like. And there I had a chance not only to see all this, but also to pick and taste it well.

The Eden Project is a botanic garden in Cornwall, Great Britain. It contains a greenhouse consisting of several geodesic domes, under which plants from all over the world are collected. The square of the greenhouses is 22.000 square meters.

The Botanical garden is located on the re-cultivated territory of a quarry, where kaolin was once mined. The project is 1.5 kilometers away from the city of St Blazey and 4.8 away from St Austell – the largest city of Cornwall county.

The complex consists of two greenhouses, each one having several connected geodesic zones, under which there are many plant species from all over the world. In the greenhouses biomes are created (one nature complex characterized with some main type of plant life or other peculiarity of landscape), typical for humid equatorial forests and Mediterranean climate.

The domes are made of hundreds of hexagons and several pentagons joining the whole structure. Each of hexagons and pentagons is made of solid light-proof plastic. In the first greenhouse there is tropical plant life, while in the second – Mediterranean one.

The idea of the project belongs to Tim Smith; the project was designed by architect Nicolas Greenshow and Antony Hunt and associates engineering company (at the present time, part of Sinclair Night Merz company). Davis Lungdon was a developer of the project; MERO company carried out designing and construction of the greenhouses. The time of executing of the project was 2.5 years. It was opened on March 17, of 2001.

The project is erected in a kaolin quarry that is out of use. There is a winding strolling path around the greenhouses opening view on the greenhouses, cultivated fields around them, including gardens and sculptures, among which there are a gigantic bee and a robot made of used electrical devices.

The visit center, the first part of the project, was opened for visiting in May of 2000. The entire project began to function in full-admission mode on March 17 of 2001.

Eden Project was one of the places, where film “Die Another Day” was shot, 20-th piece in a series of movies about the escapades of James Bond, starring Pierce Brosnan.

On July 2 of 2005, on the territory of the complex concert “Africa Calling” of the Live 8 concert series was held.

Some plants of the African Garden of the British Museum were brought from the greenhouses of the complex.

In 2005, the Project launched “A Time of Gifts” for the winter months, November to February. This features an ice rink covering the lake, with a small café/bar attached, as well as a Christmas market. Cornish choirs regularly perform in the biomes.

Since 2002, the Project has hosted a series of musical performances, called the Eden Sessions. Artists have included Amy Winehouse, James Morrison, Brian Wilson, Lily Allen, rock bands Muse, Snow Patrol, Pulp, and The Magic Numbers. 2008′s summer headliners were: The Verve, Kaiser Chiefs and KT Tunstall. In 2008, it also became the site of the first comedy show hosted by Bill Bailey. In the summer of 2009, rock band Oasis was also set to play here in their supporting tour for “Dig out Your Soul” album.

At the bottom of the quarry there are two roofed greenhouse complexes. One of them emulates the biome of an equatorial rain forest. This greenhouse complex is the biggest in the world and occupies the area of 1.559 hectares, reaching 55 meters high, 100 meters wide and 240 meters long – the area, which is big enough to put London’s Tower under its dome.

The following tropical plants grow in the greenhouse: banana trees, coffee trees, rubber trees and giant bamboos; temperature conditions and humidity matching the equatorial region are maintained here.

The Mediterranean biome occupies the space of 0.654 hectares; its max dimensions are: 35 meters high, 65 meters wide and 135 meters long. Plants that are characteristic of the Mediterranean grow here: olive trees, vine trees; this greenhouse is decorated with various sculptural images.

The third biome located outdoors contains plants of the temperate zone including such as sunflowers, lavender, tea, hop, etc.

Geodesic domes have frameworks made of tubular steel forming hexagonal frames with external panels of thermoplastic ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene “cushions”). The diameter of steel tubes, of which the framework is made, is only 193 millimeters — a filigree structure resembling spider’s web. It was decided not to use glass due to its weight and potential danger. The external panels are made of multi-layered film (transparent foil) ETFE, which lets ultra-violet rays through. Compared to glass, ETFE is twice as cheap, has better characteristics of temperature insulation and lets in more ultra violet, which is very crucial for the plants. It weighs 1% of the weight of glass making the entire structure lighter than the air it contains: if the wind blows in a certain direction and fittings are insufficient, the “bubbles” will be just blown away. Another disadvantage is that the lifespan of the foil is 25 years (maybe, when it is time to change EFTE foil there will be invented a different material more suitable for these needs). Panels are joined around their perimeter and inflated with air, thus, making a large air cushion to protect the greenhouses from thermal loss. ETFE material is resistant to most stains, which are simply washed off by the rain. If need be, the external surface may be washed with the help of abseilers.

Computerized system of climate control functions in the greenhouses, which regulates temperature and moisture level in each biome. The system of climate control was developed and installed by HortiMaX Ltd company (formally named Van Vliet Automation), which is also responsible for the current maintenance of and service for the system of climatic control and monitoring.

The Eden Project has an educational component – providing visitors with information on the wild nature preservation, focused on the interdependence of the plant world and human race. Plants in the greenhouses are described according to their medicinal uses.

To support the necessary level of humidity in the greenhouses and for sanitary purposes processed rainwater is used, which collects at the bottom of the quarry. Mains water is used only for wash-hand stands and for cooking. The complex is supplied with electricity from wind generators, many of which were installed in Cornwall among the first ones in Europe.

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