Biosphere Environment Museum, Montreal
With the Jewish holiday season now behind us, one might think I would have some time for crafting, but since that is not the case I thought I’d share some photos with you from our summer travels! First off, have you ever heard of Buckminster Fuller? He was an amazing designer and thinker way ahead of his time, and fortunately was acknowledged enough in his lifetime such that we can learn from some of his projects.
The Biosphere Museum in Montreal is housed within Buckminster Fuller’s original dome structure built for the 1967 World’s Fair, and the combination of history and present day environmental issues is truly a success. This is one of the best museums I have ever been to (I believe me, I’ve seen my fair share) and my only regret was that I didn’t have more brain power on that day to absorb it all. Kids are free, so one can go often and really delve into the enviromental issues presented.
The structure within the dome was originally built as a water musuem of sorts, but since 2007 houses the Environment museum which includes lots of really up to date video and interactive displays, as well as a lab, and lots of presentations lead by nice museum employees. Interactive activities and exhibitions cover the major environmental issues related to water, climate change, air, ecotechnologies and sustainable development.
A view of the downtown Montreal skyline and the park below from within the dome.
Oh and just by the way, the building did originally have an acrylic skin of sorts that melted in a 1976 fire, leaving just the existing metal framework.
If you have time for only one museum, with kids in tow especially, this would be my number one choice hands down……assuming that the kids are say ten years old and above.
Expo 67
The architect of the geodesic dome was Buckminster Fuller.[1] The building originally formed an enclosed structure of steel and acrylic cells, 76 metres (249 ft) in diameter and 62 metres (203 ft) high. The dome is a Class 1, Frequency 16 Icosahedron. A complex system of shades was used to control its internal temperature. The sun-shading system was an attempt by the architect to reflect the same biological processes that the human body relies on to maintain its internal temperature.[2] Fuller’s original idea for the geodesic dome was to incorporate “pores” into the enclosed system, further likening it to the sensitivity of human skin,[2] but the shading system failed to work properly and was eventually disabled.[2]
Architects from Golden Metak Productions designed the interior exhibition space. Visitors had access to four themed platforms divided into seven levels. The building included a 37-metre-long escalator, the longest ever built at the time. The Minirail monorail ran through the pavilion.[3]
1976 fire
In the afternoon of 20 May 1976, during structural renovations, a fire burned away the building’s transparent acrylic bubble, but the hard steel truss structure remained.[4] The site remained closed until 1990.[5][6]
Biosphere 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.[6] The museum was inaugurated in 1995 as a water museum, and is a set of enclosed buildings designed by Éric Gauthier, inside the original steel skeleton. The Biosphère changed its name in 2007 to become an environment museum.
