The Eden Project in Cornwall has been granted planning permission to build a new 109-bedroom on-site hotel.

Accessibility, energy-efficiency and sustainability are the key features of the design, by architectural studio Tate Harmer.

In order for the £8.5m hotel to blend into the surrounding countryside, and with the Eden Project’s famous two plant-filled biomes, its two blocks will be clad with prominent timber poles.

Existing features in the area, including old trees and stone walls, will be incorporated into the design of the grounds. A meadow and orchard, will be planted around the hotel.

“This building is a unique response to its local Cornish context and the philosophy of the Eden Project,” said Tate Harmer partner Jerry Tate. “Landscape is at the heart of the scheme, with local timber cladding and Cornish stone walls embedding the building into its setting.”

The Eden Project previously received planning permission for a hotel in June 2015, but later chose to revise the design to include additional facilities. This version went through a number of iterations in response to public comments about the visual impact and scale of the proposals.

The footprint of the building is comparable to the previously-approved scheme, and although the building is taller at the northern end of the scheme, this is located in a less visible part of the site.

Construction will start in late 2017 and the hotel will open in April 2018.

"We feel the design is eye-catching but in keeping with its surroundings and we're proud to say that it will be built to the highest environmental standards," said David Harland, Eden Project executive director.

"The hotel will be a positive addition to the already excellent accommodation available in our local area and will help bolster our reputation as an attractive venue for events, conferences and weddings.”

The accommodation is designed to support existing projects and partners and also future developments at Eden. The building will have classrooms to support the project’s educational programmes.

More than 18 million people have visited the Eden Project since it opened in 2001, spending more than £1.7bn within Cornwall.