Originally built as the U.S. Pavilion in the memorable World Expo of 1967, the steel structural frame of Buckminster Fuller's Biosphere remains standing to this day as a sole landmark in Montreal's Parc Jean-Drapeau. In planning for the 50th anniversary of Expo 67 as well as Montreal's 375th anniversary next April, designer Dror Benshetrit of the New York-based practice Dror came up with the idea for adding, what do you know, a second geodesic dome near the Biosphere.
After touring Montreal's Île Sainte-Hélène with the Buckminster Fuller Institute, Benshetrit thought of a second dome as a way to help reinvigorate the seasonally used Expo 67 site grounds and evidently pay tribute to Fuller's landmark. Compared to the Biosphere, which is 76 meters in diameter and 62 meters high, Dror's proposed dome is a 150-meter-wide aluminum latticed sphere with a planted canopy.
The studio describes that its vegetated cover would act as a natural sound buffer and provide an enchanting public environment for cultural events year-round. If their proposal were to actually be realized, they claim it could be completed within two years and accommodate up to 60,000 guests.
“Interacting like the sun and the moon, our concept engages in a poetic dance with Fuller’s design, realizing the park’s potential in a contemporary context,” Dror Benshetrit said in a statement. Interestingly enough, the studio describes the proposed second dome as a “21st century companion to a lonely monument”.
2 Comments
I've been to Bucky's dome before. Ignoring whatever water/river exhibit it now holds, standing on the top deck, near the centre of the sphere is fantastic. Not sure what or who "Dror" is but sticking a green-washed diagonal mass next to Bucky's is dumb.
Please don't, Montreal.
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