Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, the pioneering British architect behind Cornwall’s world-renowned Eden Project, has died at the age of 85. His passing was confirmed on Monday afternoon by his architecture firm, Grimshaw, which he founded in 1980.
Widely admired for his bold and inventive style, Sir Nicholas leaves behind a legacy of landmark structures that married functionality with beauty. Among his most celebrated works are the Eden Project’s futuristic biomes, the striking International Terminal at London’s Waterloo Station, and the British Pavilion at the Seville Expo in 1992. His work was consistently praised for blending engineering excellence with human experience, often described as “joyful” creations.
In a tribute, his firm remembered him as “a man of invention and ideas” whose “endless curiosity about how things are made” shaped his career. “With this pragmatic creativity, Nick had an extraordinary ability to convince others that daring ideas were possible,” the statement read. Andrew Whalley, chairman of Grimshaw, added that his leadership fostered collaboration and openness. “His architecture was never about surface or fashion, but about structure, craft, and purpose—buildings that endure because they are useful and uplifting,” he said.
The Eden Project, perhaps his most famous design, was constructed in a disused clay pit near St Austell and opened in 2001. Its vast geodesic domes, known as biomes, recreate diverse climates from around the world, housing thousands of plant species and promoting global environmental awareness. The project, both a visitor attraction and an environmental charity, quickly became a symbol of sustainable design and Britain’s commitment to conservation.
Sir Nicholas’s career was equally defined by his international influence. His glass-and-steel International Terminal at Waterloo won the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Building of the Year Award in 1994 and cemented his reputation as one of the leading architects of his generation. His work was also recognised at the highest levels of society: he was knighted in 2002 for services to architecture and later served as president of the Royal Academy from 2004 to 2011.
In later years, Sir Nicholas continued to inspire new generations of designers. In 2022, he established the Grimshaw Foundation, dedicated to fostering innovation, creativity, and sustainability among young people. Through this initiative, he sought to ensure that his lifelong passion for environmentally conscious and imaginative architecture would carry forward into the future.
Born in 1939, Grimshaw’s career spanned more than five decades, during which he consistently challenged conventional boundaries in architecture. His colleagues and admirers describe him as a visionary who never lost sight of the human element in design, believing that buildings should not only serve a purpose but also “bring some kind of joy.”
He is survived by his wife, Lady Lavinia, and their daughters, Chloe and Isabel. The architectural community, environmental advocates, and countless visitors to the Eden Project and his many other works will remember Sir Nicholas Grimshaw as a man whose daring designs reshaped modern architecture and left an enduring legacy of imagination and purpose.
