The unexpected highlight of the Eden Project is the Seed sculpture by Peter Randall-Page, a 70-tonne granite piece that features Fibonacci spirals and impressive acoustics.
A visit to the Eden Project
Today, I visited the Eden Project in Cornwall – something I’ll write a fair bit more about in future posts.
Several things surprised me at Cornwall’s famous eco-attraction, but one of them came before I’d even gone inside the giant biomes that star in all the photos.
- Book Eden Project tickets now to secure a spot.
Seed by Peter Randall-Page
Seed is a super-sized sculpture inside the Eden Project’s Core building. It’s ostensibly a depiction of a seed, but it is also much more than that.
Created by Peter Randall-Page, Seed has been chipped away from a 167-tonne block of granite from De Lank Quarry at the edge of Bodmin Moor. Randall-Page and his team spent more than two years on the work, first turning it into a giant ovoid.
Five great things to do while you’re in Cornwall
- 👻 Feel the chills in the abandoned cells on a hugely atmospheric tour of Bodmin Jail.
- 🌱 Explore the world’s largest indoor rainforest at the Eden Project.
- 🎬 Discover the Beyond Paradise filming locations around Looe on a specialised tour.
- 🐬 Spot dolphins, seals and porpoises on a RIB sealife safari from Padstow.
- 🏄 Hit the surf in Newquay with a two hour surfing lesson.
The Fibonacci spirals in Seed
Once the ovoid was completed, Randall-Page started carving 1,800 nodes into the granite. He did so in Fibonacci spirals, representing the growth pattern found across the natural world in the likes of sunflowers, daisies and pine cones.
Seed weighs 70 tonnes, and is bigger than any of the standing stones at Stonehenge.
- Eden Project tickets are cheaper booked in advance. Book here.
The acoustics in Seed’s purpose-built chamber
What makes Seed special from the perspective of a visitor is that it is displayed inside a purpose-built chamber. Natural light comes down from above, and you can walk around the sculpture.
The chamber also has fantastic acoustics, which delighted my daughters no end. They enjoyed hearing the booming reverberations when they clapped their hands or shouted hello at each other.
Why Seed helps make the Eden Project so good
Obviously, Seed is not really what people come to the Eden Project to see. But it’s part of what makes the Eden Project great. You go expecting lots of tropical plants inside giant greenhouses, and come out having seen so much more.
Eden Project ticket prices
At the time of writing, Eden Project tickets cost £42 on the day, or £38 if booked in advance. Book before midnight the night before, basically.
During school holidays, tickets occasionally sell out. That’s another good reason to book early. You can book online tickets here.
More Cornwall travel
Other Cornwall travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
