Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Expo 67, a seminal World’s Fair in Montreal. One of the most famous buildings for the event was the Biosphère, a geodesic steel dome designed by architect Buckminster Fuller. The building still stands as an environment museum.
To honor the building, the anniversary of the Expo, and the city’s 375th birthday, Studio Dror, led by designer Dror Benshetrit, has created another geodesic dome.
The concept calls for a 150-meter-wide aluminum dome with vegetation wrapped around the frame to serve as a sound buffer. Located at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saint Helen's Island, the new dome can hold events like festivals, concerts, food markets, and art installations throughout the year.
The dome will be a companion to the nearby Biosphère (though it will be approximately twice as wide). Benshetrit said he was inspired after a tour of the island.
“I started thinking about Fuller’s geodesic dome, a lonely orphan in the Montreal skyline, and what it takes to form a movement, and our concept was born,” Benshetrit said in a statement. “We propose a second, enlarged dome for the western tip of the island that ushers Montreal into the future. Poetically engaging Bucky’s existing structure in a visual dance, interacting much like the sun and the moon, the Biosphere is no longer alone; it has a partner.”
The firm said the dome will be able to accommodate up to 60,000 guests within two years of its completion.
Next year is big for Canada, as along with all of Montreal’s celebrations, the nation itself is turning 150 years old.
Concerts, fairs, and food markets can be held at the new dome. Click image to enlarge.
The new dome (far left) and the Montreal Biosphère at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Click image to enlarge.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
CTBUH changes height criteria; Burj Dubai height increases, others decrease
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)—the international body that arbitrates on tall building height and determines the title of “The World’s Tallest Building”—has announced a change to its height criteria, as a reflection of recent developments with several super-tall buildings.
| Aug 11, 2010
JE Dunn, Balfour Beatty among country's biggest institutional building contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 50 Institutional Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Walter P Moore wins top award for Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art
With structural engineering from Walter P Moore, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art has won the New Buildings Under $30 Million project category in the 2009 Structural Engineers Association of Kansas & Missouri (SEAKM) Awards Program.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architecture Billings Index flat in May, according to AIA
After a slight decline in April, the Architecture Billings Index was up a tenth of a point to 42.9 in May. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction employment declined in 333 of 352 metro areas in June
Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to a new analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The analysis shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Hensel Phelps among the nation's 50 largest design-build contractors
A ranking of the Top 50 Design-Build Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Bowdoin College has country's first newly constructed LEED-certified ice arena
Bowdoin College's new Sidney J. Watson Arena, dedicated January 18, 2009, has become the first newly constructed ice arena in the United States to earn coveted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
