Fresh images revealed for Eden Project Morecambe

Updated conceptual images of the eco visitor attraction from architect Grimshaw indicate that the design process is moving forward.

Since achieving consent from Lancaster City Council in 2022, the £125m scheme has progressed little and missed its 2024 construction start deadline.

Eden Project Morecambe will have three domes, reduced from four, that will house a quartet of separate ‘realms’ with different environments and attractions.

The latest images reveal The Realm of the Sun, which will be a “bright, tropical landscape of the near future”, and encourage re-engagement with the wounded natural world.

The defining feature of the central space will be The Elder Tree, a 20-metre-tall interactive sculpture.

In addition, the Realm of the Moon, themed on the tides of Morecambe Bay, will feature a hyper-real rock pool which will speed up cycles of tides, days, and seasons to drive “an ever-changing immersive world”.

The Realm of the Sun. Credit: Grimshaw

Details on the design of the other two realms, the Public Realm and the Four Seasons Garden, are yet to be disclosed.

In March this year, John Pye, who delivered RHS Garden Bridgewater, was announced as the project director for the attraction that planners believe could bring some 760,000 additional visitors to Morecambe annually.

Andy Jasper, chief executive of the Eden Project, said the scheme was “profoundly important” and was “not just a project for Morecambe, but the whole of the UK”.

He continued: “The design showcases the experience we have developed, its magnitude to deliver on budget and to the timescales that we know everyone is keen for us to meet.

“This design does this without compromising on ambition or vision, and we cannot wait to reveal more about the visitor experience in due course.

“Eden Project Morecambe is going to ultimately become the destination from the community, for the community, and is developed in tandem with our brilliant partners in Morecambe and throughout the North West and will be something for us all to be proud of.”

The central Elder Tree. Credit: Grimshaw

Lancaster City Council expects the project will act as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the town, with the hope that it will attract investors to Frontierland, another seafront plot which the local authority believes could be very lucrative.

Cllr Caroline Jackson, Leader of Lancaster City Council, added: “These eye-catching images make the Eden Project Morecambe a reality.

“The new structures reflect our unique and beautiful bay in their design, and we can feel the momentum growing now as the project team comes together.

“It is taking time to get the project right, but it will be worth the wait.”

Credit: Grimshaw

Architect Grimshaw was also behind the Eden Project in Cornwall, which has long been cited as a great success.

Eden Project Morecambe is being delivered in partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University and is due to open in late 2028.