Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, the designer of the Eden Project in Cornwall, has died at the age of 85.
The announcement was made on Monday afternoon by Grimshaw, the architectural practice he established in 1980.
Sir Nicholas gained widespread recognition for creating the attraction, which became a major tourist destination, largely due to its distinctive dome-shaped structures.
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His portfolio also included the British Pavilion for the Seville Expo 1992 and Waterloo's glass-and-steel International Terminal in London, which secured The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Building of the Year Award in 1994.
According to a statement released by the firm, these projects represented "turning points for the practice as well as the profession of architecture – merging the distinction between architecture and structure with sustainable, climate-responsive design", reports .
The statement continued: "Nick was a man of invention and ideas and will be remembered for his endless curiosity about how things are made and his commitment to the craft of architecture and building. With this pragmatic creativity, Nick had an extraordinary ability to convince others that daring ideas were possible.
"Nick founded the practice in 1980 with this spirit of making and a commitment to the process of architecture at its heart and kick-started what became a 40-year exploration of sustainability."
Sir Nicholas was awarded a knighthood in 2002 for his contributions to architecture and subsequently served as the president of the Royal Academy from 2004 to 2011. In 2022, he founded the Grimshaw Foundation, an organisation dedicated to fostering innovative design, creativity, and sustainability among young people.
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Andrew Whalley, chairman at Grimshaw, said: "From the very first day I arrived at the practice in 1986, I felt the warmth and generosity of Nick's leadership. The lack of hierarchy in the studio, shaped by his amiable and open personality, was its true strength.
"It created a collegiate spirit, a place where people genuinely enjoyed working together, supporting one another, and finding the tenacity to deliver some of the most complex buildings.
"His architecture was never about surface or fashion, but always about structure, craft, and purpose – about creating buildings that endure because they are both useful and uplifting and, in Nick's words, 'bring some kind of joy'."
In 2019, Sir Nicholas was honoured with the Royal Gold Medal for architecture, a recognition of his lifetime's work, personally approved by Queen Elizabeth II. The company statement read: "He was an incredibly generous visionary and collaborator, who attracted like-minded souls throughout his life.
"Nick lived with his wife, Lady Lavinia, and was a proud father of Chloe and Isabel. They were all very much part of his professional life, and our condolences are with his family."
The Eden Project released a statement saying: "Designed by the late Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, the Eden Project's breath-taking geodesic domes are home to an awe inspiring global garden that nearly 25 million people have visited - his legacy is clear: the Eden Project is recognised globally as one of the most iconic structures of the 21st Century.
"All at the Eden Project mourn his passing, and celebrate his genius. He understood the power to empower people to embrace ideas gifted to us by nature. His creative vision for Eden was inspired by a handful of soap bubbles as biomes, to inspire the team to create the most elegant solution to address design challenges. They fit so well in the landscape that it is sometimes hard to know where landscape stops and buildings start.
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"In homage to Sir Nicholas Grimshaw we acknowledge and celebrate his legacy, without him there would be no Eden Project domes.
"As we plan for our 25th Anniversary celebrations next year, we will do so with Sir Nicolas at the heart of the Eden Project as we remind people of our origin story.
"The Eden Project has become a beacon of hope and positivity and Sir Nicolas Grimshaw will live on in the very DNA, and breathe life into a vision of a new Eden Project in Morecambe yet to come."
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