Cinesphere

Cinesphere opened in 1971 as part of the original Ontario Place complex, housed inside a distinctive geodesic dome that became one of the most recognizable pieces of the park's Modernist architecture. The theatre was purpose-built to showcase IMAX, a large-format film technology developed by a group of Canadian filmmakers, and its opening made it the world's first permanent IMAX theatre, a genuine technological first for a Canadian institution.

A dome that outlasted the park around it

Cinesphere continued showing IMAX films for decades, developing a loyal following even as the rest of Ontario Place's attractions closed in 2012 amid declining attendance and provincial funding cuts. The dome and theatre have remained standing and periodically operational through Ontario Place's subsequent controversial redevelopment process, a rare surviving piece of the park's original 1971 vision even as much of the surrounding site has been reshaped or demolished around it.

Sources

• Wikipedia — Cinesphere
• The Canadian Encyclopedia — IMAX

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