Eden Project Morecambe teases Realm of Moon
Ahead of the solar eclipse on Wednesday, the £100m eco-tourism destination has released a CGI of what one of its two shell-inspired superstructures may look like when the attraction opens in 2028.
Eden Project Morecambe’s Realm of the Moon will incorporate a series of different elements, walking visitors through the importance of the tides and lunar cycle have on the world around us – especially the ecology of the nearby Morecambe Bay.
Shallow water will lap at visitors’ feet as it mimics tidal flows, with puppetry and special effects set to bring the bay’s natural rhythms to life.
“The eclipse this week is a powerful reminder that we live in rhythm with the Sun and Moon, marking a powerful transition and renewal even if we do not always stop to notice it,” said Andy Jasper, chief executive of the Eden Project.
“The Realm of the Moon will take that idea and make it unforgettable,” he continued. “Visitors will feel the tide rise around them, see moonlight reflected in real water and experience the extraordinary life of Morecambe Bay through spectacle, performance and play.”
Referring to the released CGI, Jasper continued: “This new image gives a first glimpse of what we are creating: a magical, immersive theatre that is rooted in the ecology, culture and stories of the Bay, and designed to inspire people of all ages to see the natural world differently.”
- READ MORE: How £100m Eden will change Morecambe’s fate
VINCI Building is the main contractor for Eden Project Morecambe. Work is due to begin later this month on the 1.5-acre Bring Me Sunshine Garden, which will be free to enter. Construction is due to begin by the end of this year on the larger structures that will hold the 41,700 sq ft Realm of the Sun and the 18,300 sq ft Realm of the Moon, as well as the 7,750 sq ft Metronome building that will connect the two.
Grimshaw Architects designed Eden Project Morecambe. Ridge is the quantity surveyor and project manager for the scheme, which will be delivered on the 11-acre site of the former Bubbles Leisure Complex and Superdome. LK Group led the initial ground investigation works. Also on the project team are WSP and TEP.
Eden Project is delivering the Northern attraction in partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council, and Lancaster University. The attraction is anticipated to welcome 500,000 visitors a year once it opens.
The Realm of the Moon is specifically supported through a donation from the Garfield Weston Foundation. Earlier this summer, Eden Project announced that it had secured £4.5m from an Omaze house draw for its Elder Tree structure that will sit within the Realm of the Sun.
To learn more about the proposals, search 25/01118/VCN on Lancaster City Council’s planning portal.
