Grimshaw, a leading architectural firm based in London, UK, said it has awarded a contract by the Sharjah government to design a botanical garden in the northern emirate.

Spread over a sprawling 600,000-sq-m area, it is similar in scale and ambition to the Eden Project at Cornwall, UK and Oman Botanic Garden in Muscat, said a statement from Grimshaw.

An ambitious project of HH Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the botanical garden supports the educational, cultural and scientific vision for the emirate with displays of rare plants alongside comprehensive scientific research and innovation centres.

Dr Sheikh Sultan signed an agreement with officials of Grimshaw on the new project at a recent ceremony held in London.

The British architecture firm said work is set to begin immediately with a team based in its New York and London studios.

The botanical garden project comes as part of government's mission to encourage discovery and education while conserving the rich floral heritage of Sharjah, the UAE and the rest of the world.

It will be a demonstration of the importance of science, knowledge and investment in human endeavour, said the  statement.

With a variety of immersive environments, the botanical garden will educate people about various natural habitats and the importance of conservation, it added.-TradeArabia News Service