The former Dundee Gasworks on East Dock Street is the preferred location for Eden’s home in Scotland and Eden is inviting those with memories and tales of the site to get in touch.
The stories gathered will help build the narrative of the site and assist in shaping the future visitor experience.
Eden Project Dundee will draw on the history of the city’s Nine Incorporated Trades and is themed around nine new “Guilds”.
Initial concepts for these new “Guilds” are Healers, Growers, Navigators, Myth-Makers, Noticers, Alchemists, Celebrators, Menders and “Re-Sourcerors”.
These guilds are characterised not by specialisms, like the existing nine trades, but provide alternative ways of perceiving the world.
It is hoped that collecting local stories from the past will help shape and inform what these new “Guilds” will ultimately become as well as inspire the architectural model of the site.
Caishlan Sweeney, Eden Project International’s Community Campaign Manager in Dundee said: “As we start shaping the future of Eden Project Dundee, it’s incredibly exciting to look back to the past for inspiration through authentic connections to the former Dundee Gasworks.
“We would love to hear from anyone who has a personal history with the site or has stories of family and friends to share. We have access to some fantastic local archives and we are sure people have some wonderful memories to tell. Together, these will help play an integral part in Eden Project Dundee’s development.”
Anyone wishing to share their stories with the Eden Project can contact Caishlan at csweeney@edenproject.com.
In May, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Eden, National Grid and SGN to kick off a period to explore the practicalities of converting the site into Eden Project Dundee. At the same time, the first image of how the attraction may look was unveiled.
Eden predicts that the project will create 200 jobs (with an additional 300 indirectly created) and contribute £27m per year to the regional economy.
Eden Project Dundee will be transformational and regenerative with an overarching theme of humanity’s connection to the natural world.
The original Eden Project, located near St Austell in Cornwall, opened in March 2001 and boasts the world-famous geodesic Biomes, one of which houses the world’s biggest undercover rainforest. Eden has welcomed more than 22 million visitors since opening and has generated more than £2bn for the regional economy.
