Biosphere Museum, Montreal

The Montreal Biosphere is a museum that focuses on the environment. It occupies the former United States pavilion, which was constructed for Expo 67 and is located within Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saint Helen's Island.

In August 1990, the site was acquired by Environment Canada with the intention of transforming it into an interactive museum that showcases and explores the water ecosystems of the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence River regions. The museum officially opened its doors on 6 June 1995. It occupies a collection of enclosed buildings designed by Éric Gauthier, nestled within the original steel framework.

In 2007, the Biosphere underwent a name change to become an environment museum. It offers a range of interactive activities and hosts exhibitions that delve into significant environmental issues such as water, climate change, air quality, ecotechnologies, and sustainable development.

The museum's famous geodesic dome, designed by Buckminster Fuller, was initially a self-contained structure made of steel and acrylic cells. It had a diameter of 76 meters (249 feet) and a height of 62 meters (203 feet). The dome had a sophisticated shading system to control temperature, inspired by the body's temperature regulation. Fuller intended to incorporate "pores" resembling human skin but the shading system ultimately failed and was deactivated.

The interior exhibition space was designed by architects from Golden Metak Productions. Visitors had access to four themed platforms spanning seven levels. Notably, the building featured a 37-meter-long (121 feet) escalator, which was the longest of its kind at the time. The pavilion also housed the Minirail monorail. In 2021, The New York Times recognized the dome as one of "the 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture".