Montreal Biosphère
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
[edit] History
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.
A fire burned away the building's acrylic bubble in 1976, but the steel latticework remained.
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.
[edit] External links
| Montreal landmarks | |
|---|---|
| Buildings | Biodome | Biosphère | Bell Centre | Canadian Centre for Architecture | Montreal Casino | Complexe Desjardins | Montreal Forum | Grande Bibliothèque du Québec | Habitat '67 | Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral | McCord Museum | Montreal Science Centre | Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica | Olympic Stadium | Palais des congrès de Montréal | Place des Arts | Place Ville-Marie | Redpath Museum | Saint Joseph's Oratory | Tour de la Bourse | Underground City | World Trade Centre Montreal |
| Neighbourhoods | Chinatown | Old Montreal | Old Port | Quartier international de Montréal |
| Nature and Parks |
Jardin botanique de Montréal | Mount Royal |
| Islands | Île Bizard | Island of Montreal | Île Notre-Dame | Nuns' Island | Saint Helen's Island |
| Transportation | Montréal-Mirabel International Airport | Montreal Metro | Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport | Windsor Station | Central Station |
