DOWN CENTRAL

This area is what our botanical garden calls its central axis. The whole place has irregular, meandering areas but this is, so to speak, the backbone. There are two reflecting pools of equal length, the second not visible here due to foreshortening. They hold works by the Swedish sculptor Carl Milles, who also has a large group of figures in a major fountain downtown. At the rear is the Climatron, designed by Buckminster Fuller. It contains four distinct climate zones, separated by a complex system of barriers and air controls.                      

Bucky Fuller, Dale Chihuly and the Garden

More from the Missouri Botanical Garden. The signature building of the garden is the Climatron. It is a visually striking building built in the form of a geodesic dome, containing the environment of a lowland tropical forest. Many of the principles of this kind of structure were worked out by the visionary architect and designer, R. Buckminster Fuller. The Climatron is in the background of this photo.

Last year, a big exhibit of the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly was spread throughout the garden. Some of his work remains indefinitely, including these glass bulbs floating in the reflecting pool. The interplay of all these elements creates a complex image.

TOMORROW: Thursday Arch Series