I had a plan of where to visit and photograph today. But first I wanted to stop by my mother's work and when she was finished take her out for coffee. After she is a good mummy and deserves to take a break. Even if it is with me. LOL. Then I walked her to her bus stop but instead of continuing on my way I decided to go back to her place and see my father. Then we went out for something to eat. The long and short of it is I didn't get the photos I wanted but I have others to show you.
This geodesic dome, which was inspired by Buckminster Fuller, resides at the end of False Creek. We call it
Science World though its legitimate name is
Telus World of Science.
When Vancouver was awarded
Expo 86 -a transportation themed world's fair in 1986 - work began on this landmark. Started in 1984 the building which was to serve as the Expo Centre was completed in 1985. After the fair in 1986 an intensive campaign was launched to secure the building and relocate Barbara Brink's
Arts, Sciences and Technology Centre into the dome.
Thanks to much government backing this former Expo Centre was obtained from the province. Then a massive fund raising campaign began. With donations from the federal, provincial and municipal governments as well as the GVRD, the private sector, foundations and individuals 19.1 million dollars was raised. The purpose was to build an addition, redesign the interior and fabricate exhibits. In 1988 over 310,000 people came to view the building in a four month preview.
In 1989 a 400 seat
OMNIMAX theatre in the upper section of the dome was opened. This extended the
3D IMAX theatre which had been built for
Expo 86.
In 1996 the centre entered its first title sponsorship agreement with
Alcan Inc and renamed the
OMNIMAX theatre the
Alcan OMNIMAX Theatre. Since then
Alcan has decided to sponsor the organization in different ways so the name of the theatre returned to the original.
In 2005
Telus gave a $9 million donation and renamed the centre
Telusphere. That didn't go over so well so it was renamed
Telus World of Science which keeps consistency with the centres in Edmonton and Calgary with the same names. But the
Skytrain station is still named
Science World and Vancouverites still refer to this dome as
Science World.
This is an interesting piece outside the centre. I thought you might like to see it as well.
Construction was going on while I was there, I guess the centre is getting a face lift. Thanks to
photobucket I found a photo of
Science World at night that is free for me to use. I would like to thank user Travis788 for taking such a fantastic night shot.
Isn't that breathtaking? I remember an episode of the television show 'Sliders where Jerry O'Connell's character was running in an area by the dome. (Okay I realize that I may watch too much television but oh well!)
Talking about television shows I was walking along East Pender today when I saw that something was being filmed. I stopped to get a few pictures for a future blog entry and realized that the show
Supernatural was being filmed. I will have to watch to see when that episode is on then I can say I was there. heehee
On the grounds outside the dome, on the east side I think, I found these carvings.
They are reasonably large - you can see the back of one in one of my previous photos - and quite eye catching.
While I was walking towards home I walked by the
Science World Skytrain station at Main and Terminal. I found a very interesting plaque.
What the plaque says is that near that corner on June 26, 1890 (exactly 75 years before I was born) public transit began in Vancouver. Six small electric streetcars carried passengers along ten kilometres of track through Vancouver's downtown. A century later the mayor Gordon Campbell along with Rita M. Johnston - the minister responsible for BC Transit led a caravan of vintage buses along the original route. That would have been something to see!
This gruesome creature is another thing I saw while walking along East Pender. Leftover from Halloween I am sure he looked scarier at night. But the carving was well done.
I hope you find the beauty around you.
TAGS:
Vancouver,
Karen Magill,
Telus Science World,
Gordon Campbell,
Halloween,
East Pender,
Expo 86,
history,
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