Plans for an £8.5m, 109-bedroom hotel to be developed within Cornwall’s Eden Project feature two highly sustainable, energy efficient, timber clad buildings, have been revealed.
Planning permission for a hotel was originally granted by Cornwall Council in June 2015. A revised design, with additional facilities was submitted in May 2016, but was later withdrawn following public opposition about the visual impact and scale of the proposal.
Plans are that construction will start in late 2017, with the opening taking place in April 2018.
David Harland, executive director of the Eden Project, said, “We feel that hotel accommodation at Eden would not only give an attractive option to our day visitors, but also increases Eden’s appeal as a venue for weddings, conferences and events. This is part of our plan to enhance the year-round sustainability of Eden’s business.”
The planned hotel is divided into two blocks to reduce its visual impact. Local stone cladding will be used at the lower level of the buildings, and locally-sourced timber poles are designed to set the buildings into the surrounding landscape.
Existing features, including old trees and stone walls, will be incorporated into the design of the grounds, while a meadow and orchard will be planted around the hotel.
More than 18 million people have visited since the Eden Project opened in 2001, contribution more than £1.7b to the economy in Cornwall.