THE EDEN PROJECT - GRIMSHAW ARCHITECTS

Western civilization long depicted the relationship between humankind and nature in conflicting terms.

 

Domination and overcoming, contrasting technical and technological progress with respect for the environment are the terms which have defined this dynamic, perhaps as a result of a Bachelardian Prometheus complex.

In a world now aware of the heavy consequences of this attitude, the Eden Project complex - the first in a series of international projects - overcomes this dualism to focus on the interdependence between plants and people and promote change, first of all on a local level.

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A driving force for activities aimed at environmental sustainability, the same architectural structure of the complex announces itself as a message and stimulus for reflection: the project by Grimshaw Architects proposes  an achievable balance between ecosystem and technology, drawing lessons from nature to solve pragmatic needs and arriving at mimicry of its forms. This operation also stands as living proof of the potential of human action in synergy with nature; the considerable conversion of a kaolinite quarry into the largest captive rainforest in the world thus demonstrates that regeneration, although arduous, is possible, and its possibilities are endless.