Originally constructed as the Velodrome for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, the Montreal Biodome in the French-Canadian metropolis’ Olympic Park stands as a testament to the city’s grandiose architectural legacy. Space for Life, the governing body that oversees the Biodome as well as the park’s planetarium, insectarium, and botanical garden, launched a competition in 2014 to enhance the experience between visitors and the science museum’s distinct ecosystems.
The winning entry, led by local firm KANVA, reconsiders the human relationship to the species living onsite with hopes to inspire discovery and restore “a sense of dignity and respect to this heritage building and to reveal to the public some of its great architectural features,” says KANVA principal and cofounder Rami Bebawi. For his purposes, it was helpful to approach the landmark as a human body, with particular attention paid to the heart, head, and hand. “The comparison was very much an intercellular morphosis,” Bebawi explains. “We considered it to be a living entity. We took spaces that were underused and started moving things within the Biodome itself.”
A new, skylight-studded ceiling drenches the space with natural light
With sensitivity to the existing conditions, KANVA created a new core—or heart—to link the venue’s five ecosystems (the Tropical Rainforest, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Laurentian Maple Forest, Labrador Coast, and the Sub-Antarctic Islands), as well as a new ceiling outfitted with skylights to drench the nucleus in sunlight.
From the core, visitors are transported via bowed aluminum tunnels wrapped in a white, membrane-like textile that contrasts the concrete interiors. Although unable to see the ecosystems while enveloped in “eco-transit,” occupants are exposed to the scents, sounds, and temperatures of each biome before feasting their eyes upon it. KANVA’s revamp establishes a non-linear choreography that invites visitors to curate their own journey for a more personalized bond with nature. “There’s a form of ritual that allows you to have a different view of nature and perhaps to create a form of attachment,” Bebawi says.
Aluminum tunnels wrapped in a white fabric membrane transport guests between ecosystems at the Biodome
Conceived as the head, a belvedere frames an aerial view of the entire biodome for guests, along with the mechanics hidden from visitors on the ground. “You can’t be in wonderland all the time,” Bebawi says, “and when they’re on the belvedere, they get to learn about it.” Visits culminate in an exhibit area that highlights global initiatives aimed at sustainability and preservation.
Rendered in both English and French, the message “Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course” punctuates the educational space, aiming to stir guests to take action to preserve our planet and the species with whom we share it. “People don’t like to have their hands slapped,” Bebawi says. “But if you show them hopeful ways of change—the hand, the handprint—that becomes a positive. Perhaps the momentum will go beyond the institution.”
A message written in bold yellow text in an educational area warns of humanity’s impact on the planet
This article originally appeared in HD’s June/July 2021 issue.
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