This is the skyward view from the Biosphere of Montréal situated on a man-made island in the St-Lawrence River. I visited the island today to drive around the Formula One Grand Prix Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but as much as I would like to show you the tire markings on the ‘wall of champions,’ I don’t think that picture is as interesting as this one of the dome.

Designed by Buckminster Fuller for Expo 67, the geodesic dome used to be called the American Pavilion and back when it was built it was covered by an acrylic skin. However, in 1976 the outer skin caught fire and burned away leaving just the bare steel structure that remains today. The site was closed after the fire and remained closed until 1990 when Environment Canada purchased it for $17.5 million to turn it into an interactive museum showcasing and exploring the water ecosystems of the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence River regions.

And if you’re really curious you can see that picture of the tire scuffed ‘wall of champions’ here.