Montreal Biosphère
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The Biosphère ( ) of Environment Canada is a museum in Montreal dedicated to water and the environment. It is located on St. Helen's Island in the building of the United States pavilion for the 1967 World Exhibition Expo 67.
Photos of the Biosphère are frequently included in science textbooks to explain the shape of fullerene molecules, which were so named in honor of Buckminster Fuller because they resemble geodesic domes.
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[edit] History
[edit] Expo 67
The architect of the geodesic dome was Richard Buckminster Fuller. The building originally formed an enclosed structure of steel and acrylic cells, 76 meters (250 feet) in diameter and 62 meters (200 feet) high. A complex system of shades was used to control the internal temperature.
The architects for the interior exhibition space were from Golden Metak Productions. Visitors had access to four large theme platforms divided into seven levels. The building included a 37-meter-long escalator, the longest ever built at the time.
[edit] 1976 Fire
During structural renovations in May 1976, a fire burned away the building's transparent acrylic bubble, but the steel latticework remained. The site remained closed until 1990.[1][2]
[edit] Biosphère Environment Museum
In August, 1990, Environment Canada purchased the site for $17.5 million to turn it into an interactive museum showcasing and exploring the water ecosystems of the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence River regions.[2] The museum, inaugurated in 1995, is a set of enclosed buildings designed by Éric Gauthier, inside the original steel skeleton. The Biosphère offers interactive activities and presents exhibitions about the major environmental issues related to water, climate change and the sustainable development of the Great Lakes-St Lawrence ecosystem.
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