Largest glazed geodesic dome

The largest glazed geodesic dome stands 13 storeys tall and forms part of the Desert Dome (largest indoor desert), which opened in April 2002 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. The top of the dome is 137 ft (41.75 m) above the main level. Although the building is 230 ft (70.1 m) in diameter spanning over one acre (4,046 m²), there are no support columns except the outer wall. Geodesic is defined as a dome pattern of triangles that provide a strong structure. A gutter system, on the outside of the dome, is connected to two, 20,000 gallon (75,708 litres) underground storage tanks for the collection of rainwater. This water is used for watering the plants inside.

The 1,760 tinted acrylic panels are three different shades, as well as clear, providing maximum shade in the summer and maximum light in the winter. A computer program simulated the height of the sun during the spring, summer, fall and winter to determine the location of the panels. The darkest panels at the top provide shade from intense sunlight. The clearest panels are located on the sides to allow for more light in the winter when the sun is low in the sky. The shading of the dome panels also assist with energy conservation.