ST AUSTELL, England — Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project, said Thursday the world is “in a better place” than it was when the attraction began, as it marks its 25th anniversary. In an interview with The Guardian, he credited growing environmental awareness and fast-moving plant science, while pointing to the planned £100 million Eden Project Morecambe development, where construction is due to begin in 2026, Jan. 1, 2026.
Eden Project at 25: plants, pressure and practical hope
Smit said the Eden Project was designed to make visitors feel they are part of nature, not separate from it — an emotional shift he believes is spreading, even as climate risks mount. “Effectively, the Eden Project is a monument to the importance of plants,” he said.
He warned that wetter winters and drier summers are straining the systems people depend on. But he also said there are reasons to be hopeful, including research into mycelium — the threadlike network that forms most of a fungus — that is being used to develop new materials and explore ways to clean up polluted environments.
Opened in 2001, the Eden Project has welcomed about 25 million visitors and has evolved into a venue for education, community projects and major events. Eden has said it added £2.2 billion to Cornwall’s economy as of 2019 and expects to publish an updated estimate in the new year.
Eden Project Morecambe: £100 million build eyes 2026 start
Attention is also turning north to the coast. The official Eden Project Morecambe overview describes a £100 million partnership with Lancaster University, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster City Council, designed to reimagine Morecambe with immersive landscapes, art and learning experiences.
A first public marker is expected in London in May. Eden says it will return to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 with “The Eden Project Bring Me Sunshine” garden and relocate it afterward; Eden says the garden will be installed in Morecambe after the show in summer 2026 and open in 2027, ahead of the full Eden Project Morecambe opening in 2028, according to an Eden Project announcement about the Chelsea garden.
Local organizers are also using January sessions to gather ideas and volunteers for that first phase. Beyond Radio reported that residents will be invited to interactive workshops in Morecambe in January, as planners aim for construction on the main visitor attraction to begin in 2026.
The anniversary comes with reminders of how unlikely the original project once seemed. In a 2014 essay, Smit wrote for The Guardian: “We started the construction with just £3,000 in the bank.”
And in a separate interview during COP26, he told CIWEM, “I don’t do optimism; I do hope.” As the Eden Project enters its next phase, supporters and skeptics alike will be watching whether that hope can be built into the next chapter — in Cornwall and, if the schedule holds, on the Morecambe seafront.
