New boss and design team appointed for Eden Project Morecambe

A new project director for Eden Project Morecambe - its first official employee - and a new design team have been appointed.

John Pye will be based in Morecambe and will lead the new £100m scheme on the central Promenade until its completion - scheduled to be in 2028.

The Eden Project said Mr Pye's role will be to work with a "multi-disciplinary team overseeing construction, horticulture, and visitor experience while aligning with the Eden Project’s vision of public benefit and sustainability".

The charity has also announced that an external design team has begun work on the new visitor attraction, led by one of the world's top professional services firms, WSP, and top architects Grimshaw.

For the past nine years, Mr Pye has been Head of Estates North at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) where he led the development of RHS Garden Bridgewater transforming a 156-acre heritage landscape into the iconic RHS Garden in Greater Manchester.

Photo credit: RHS Garden Bridgewater

His previous roles also include Director of Capital Projects at Blackpool and The Fylde College, and Acting Head of Project Delivery at Lancaster University Estate Management.

Mr Pye’s previous roles also include Director of Capital Projects at Blackpool and The Fylde College and Acting Head of Project Delivery at Lancaster University Estate Management.

Andy Jasper, chief executive officer of the Eden Project, said Mr Pye's "huge relevant experience and intense energy and passion make him the perfect fit for this pivotal role".

“On behalf of our partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University, we are so delighted to welcome John Pye to the Eden Project family at such an exciting time for Eden Project Morecambe, as we move into the delivery phase of this important project," said Mr Jasper.

“We are also delighted to announce the commencement of work by our external design team, headed up by world-class WSP and award–winning architects Grimshaw.

"One of John’s key responsibilities will be working with this team, overseeing the next stage of development.

"The appointment of John and the integrated design team is a key milestone to celebrate, with the latter made possible by a £2.5m funding boost from the UK Government as part of the £50m already committed.

"Together, we believe their wealth of expertise will be invaluable in ensuring that Eden Project Morecambe becomes the best destination that it possibly can be.”

Below, an artist's impression of how inside the new Eden Project Morecambe could look. These images were first revealed at the Winter Gardens in Morecambe in April 2024.

Read more: PHOTOS and INTERVIEWS: Exciting new look inside Eden Project Morecambe revealed at Winter Gardens event - Beyond Radio

Richard Green, director of Visitor Experience & Estates at RHS, said: "We are thrilled that John Pye has been appointed as Project Director for Eden Project Morecambe.

"This next chapter is a reflection of his exceptional project leadership at RHS Garden Bridgewater, one of the largest gardening projects undertaken in Europe in recent years with award winning buildings and a world-class garden.

"It is very important to the RHS that we inspire interest in horticulture, plants and people across the UK and John’s role in this exciting project will bring great benefits to the horticultural world and also to the North West. We look forward to building our thriving relationship with the Eden Project Morecambe as the garden develops."

WSP previously supported Eden Project Morecambe by acting as planning, highways, environmental, and strategic advisory consultants for the project.

Grimshaw, which led the design of the original Eden Project in Cornwall, has also worked alongside the Eden Project Morecambe team in the previous phases of the project.

Below, the Eden Project in Cornwall.

“We are delighted to be working with John, Grimshaw and the Eden Project at such an exciting stage in the development of Eden Project Morecambe," said Stephen Straughton, Director for Structures North at WSP in the UK and Ireland.

"Working collaboratively as one team, we are committed to the success of such a transformative project focused on education, innovation, and the natural world.

"At WSP, we strive to make a positive impact, and we are excited to leverage our longstanding relationships to ensure we deliver long term benefits for the community of Morecambe and the visitors the project will serve.”

Jolyon Brewis, partner at Grimshaw, said: “Eden Project Morecambe will be a spectacular destination. Grimshaw is honoured to be helping once again to bring Eden Project’s vision to life: creating a place that will be a celebration of the unique landscape of Morecambe Bay and a game changer for the region.”

The Eden Project Morecambe will be built on the former site of the Bubbles and Dome leisure complex with the Winter Gardens theatre and Midland Hotel its near neighbours.

The new attraction will aim to connect people to the natural world, celebrating the unique environment of Morecambe Bay.

The project is being delivered in partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University.

Eden Project Morecambe will cost £100m, £50m of which was secured from the previous UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The remaining £50m will be sourced from private and philanthropic funds, which Eden bosses say is in ‘advanced stages’ of being finalised.

The mixed-use complex will be housed in shell-like domes and will combine indoor and outdoor attractions, themed around Morecambe Bay.

The facility is set to include plants, art and interactive exhibits, a 6,000 capacity concert area for live music events, three cafe/restaurants and a visitor centre. 

It will include:

• Above the Bay/The Realm of the Sun: an environment filled with plants and art exhibits, showcasing natural abundance and the rhythms of life linked to the sun.
• Below the Bay/The Realm of the Moon: an immersive series of theatrical experiences that bring to life lunar rhythms and tides.
• The Natural Observatory: the home of Eden Project Morecambe's research and education programmes.

There will be "groundbreaking immersive experiences" and "a beautiful and sustainable architectural design".

It has been estimated that the Eden Project Morecambe would pull 740,000 visitors annually, as well as providing around 300 high-quality green jobs, plus more than 1,000 additional new jobs supported in the region.

The existing UK Eden Project visitor attraction in Cornwall has transformed the region's economy since opening in 2000.

It is hoped that construction work will begin in 2026.

Read more: Eden Project advertises for 'visionary leader' to deliver new £100m Morecambe facility - Beyond Radio