Yes, last week's shot was of the geodesic dome in Missouri's Botanical Gardens. Named "The Climatron," it is the first geodesic dome to be used as a conservatory. A geodesic dome is a spherical, or partially spherical, shell based on a network of great circles. The geodesics intersect to form triangular, sometimes hexagonal or octagonal, elements which distribute the stress of the structure in a more balanced fashion. Perhaps, the most famous geodesic dome is Spaceship Earth in Disney World's Epcot Center. A conservatory is a large, glass greenhouse. The Climatron has no interior support and no columns from floor to ceiling. It rises 70 feet, has 1.3 million cubic feet of volume, and encloses over 24,000 square feet (more than half an acre).
Controlling a tropical rainforest's theme, The Climatron's temperatures range from 64F to 85F with an average humidity of 85%. It houses more than 2,800 plants and more than 1,400 individual species. Several species of birds also call The Climatron home.
While I continue to try and take a worthy picture of the structure itself, here are a couple shots I'm proud of that you can find when you go inside...
Enjoy your Monday. Again, where is the picture at the top from?
Geez, hard to tell. I can't think of where we have a permanent ferris wheel around here.It's a big one, too. Six Flags? Just a wild guess.
ReplyDeleteLike the bigger pictures a lot.