BIG unveils a luminescent geodesic dome biomass power plant, and it’s also a public park

Power plants are, in general, rather dowdy structures—unless you live in the world of Bjarke Ingels, that is. The Danish architect and his firm, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/big">BIG</a>, was invited to design a new <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/biomass">biomass power plant</a> for the historic city of Uppsala, in Sweden, and has responded with a <a href="http://big.dk/#projects-upp">vast, rainbow-colored geodesic dome</a> that not only provides a welcoming face for the green energy facility, but also serves as a public gathering space during the summer months.

Uppsala's biomass cogeneration plant is planned as a means to supplement the town's grid during peak fall, winter and spring months, when demand for heat and electricity is at a high. It's a bold move by the town, that requires the construction of a large, new piece of infrastructure, and <a href="http://static.big.dk/projects/upp/slides/project_sheet_upp.pdf?1424881232">as BIG notes</a>, "its beautiful old town, home to the oldest university in Scandinavia and the impressive Uppsala cathedral, [and so] it required careful consideration to integrate a vast structure into the historical skyline."

And so we have a welcoming, if slightly whacky, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/geodesic-dome">geodesic dome</a> to house the biomass operations

one that takes the sizable new silhouette that the plant will bring to the skyline, and renders it light and transparent through the use of a greenhouse-like structure.

The various buildings the make up the biomass plant are assembled compactly, as opposed in a linear form.

This will minimize footprint and fit snugly within the dome.

The rainbow color effect on the geodesic dome is created through the use of clear <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/photovoltaic">photovoltaic panels</a>

"the diamond dome is color-coded to reflect the amount of sun exposure on each facet — ranging from red to blue — hot to cold. Thermal exposure becomes architectural expression."

But with the biomass facility out of use during the summer months, when tourists flock to the region, BIG wanted to find a way to make the power plant double as a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/public-park">public park</a>.

The facility will be surrounded by green space.

the top of the dome functions as a cat walk, while silos are converted into a visitors center.

The interior of the structure is much like a bright, airy greenhouse.

There will also be walking paths, picnic areas, restaurants and, it appears, a skating area.

Alas, there will be no ski slope—that is reserved for <a href="http://inhabitat.com/big-unveils-a-waste-incinerator-ski-slope-for-copenhagen/">BIG's waste incinerator in Copenhagen</a>.