Perspectives On Life In A Dome ~ Part One

La Géode ~ Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie ~ Parc de la Villette ~ Paris ~ France

La Géode is a mirror-finished geodesic dome that holds an Omnimax theatre in Parc de la Villette at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie (City of Science and Industry) in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France.
La Géode was designed by architect Adrien Fainsilber and engineer Gérard Chamayou. The geodesic dome is 36 metres (118 ft) in diameter, composed of 6,433 polished stainless steel equilateral triangles that form the sphere that reflects the sky. It stands on a reinforced concrete based, which is attached to Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, the largest science museum in Europe. La Géode officially opened on May 6, 1985, one year before the Science and Industry Park, the opening of which on 13 March 1986 coincided with the passing through of Halley’s comet. After a similar venue located in La Défense closed in 2001, La Géode became the only spherical building in the Île-de-France region of France. It cost 130 million French francs to build.
Before the name “Géode” was selected, other names were proposed, including humorous suggestions such as “Bouboule”, “Irma”, “Minouchette”, “Double Zéro”, and “Zézette”.
La Géode houses France’s leading movie theatre, number one by dint of the number of people visiting it. Movies are projected in IMAX format on a giant hemispherical screen that covers 1,000 square metres (11,000 sq ft). The auditorium is fitted with a 12 point sound system with four large subwoofers that deliver 210,000 watts in surround sound designed by Cabasse. The IMAX films, presented in high definition and Géode 3D-relief, feature science, nature, and travel documentaries, short and long feature-length films, and high definition animated subjects. It also presents satellite concert events, including live broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera from New York City.
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