The Montreal Biosphere was a mix of Buckminster’s design and philosophy. He used his ideal geodesic design by building the biosphere with triangles, which were used for strength and rigidness. It measures 76 metres in diameter, and 62 metres in height .As in all of Fuller’s domes, they used three- dimensional units, a triangle on the outside, hexagonal on the inside, and curved to fit a given arc, as its structural basis.
Because they connected all these shapes together to make one structure, they were able to distribute the weight of the whole thing, thus being able to create ¾ of perfect sphere. He proved that it was possible to establish a livable space only using one-fifth of the materials that were regularly used at the time for architecture. The biosphere had earned itself a reputation of being the number one attraction at the Expo ’67, with visitors reaching 5.3 million people. Fuller incorporated all of his ideologies into this structure. It used a complex system of retractable shading screens to control the heat within the biosphere. An automated computing system was designed to adjust the shading screens in accordance with the sun’s light. As well the exterior covering of the building was tinted to also assist with light and heat. After fifteen years of being closed to the public and a horrific fire, in 1990, Environment Canada purchased the site to turn it into an interactive museum, showcasing and exploring the water ecosystems of the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence River regions.
Bibliography
Rtaube. “Montreal Biosphere.” Mimoa. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2012. <http://mimoa.eu/projects/Canada/Montreal/Montreal%20Biosphere>.
“Image Gallery: Biosphere: Expo 67 US Pavilion Buckminster Fuller.” Image Gallery: Biosphere: Expo 67 US Pavilion Buckminster Fuller. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. <http://www.architecture.uwaterloo.ca/faculty_projects/terri/expo67.html>.
“The Montreal Biosphere â Visionary Architecture by Richard Buckminster Fuller | Montreal Environment.” The Montreal Biosphere â Visionary Architecture by Richard Buckminster Fuller. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://www.montrealenvironment.ca/the-montreal-biosphere-%e2%80%93-visionary-architecture-of-richard-buckminster-fuller/>.
defluence 
What was in the expo..I remember learning in history 2 that in each expo from the very first one to the present one..each show case different types of work..such as ONLY paintings..or sculptures..or a mix of everything..OR I could be wrong and forgetful!
– Marissa
well actually since the 19th century expos have gone through 3 stages, and since the 80’s it has become more popular for countries to showcase and advertise themselves more than anything else. and as for expo 67 the main attractions were the Soviet pavillion which attracted around 13 million visitors, habitat 67 which is now a condo in montreal, and the french pavillion which has been turned into a casino.
mansoureh
I am surprised by only using 1/5 of the normally used based material for architecture of his work. I like the way he makes impossible to possible. In fact, I believe nothing is impossible because the impossible is just that people have not discovered yet. For example, landing on the moon was once impossible before. As a result, something that is impossible is something that human being has not reached and accomplished. Richard Fuller is a designer that makes possible.
Benjamin