A peek inside the Montreal Bidome renovations

Step inside the Biodme today and it is scarcely recognizable. In the midst of a major renovation and with all the animals in temporary homes, the new Biodme will be more open-concept, with elevated walkways allowing visitors to walk above the different environments.

RamiBebawi, the architect in charge of the renovation, says they wanted to open up theBiodme, giving visitors new points of view and letting more natural light inside.

"It's enormously complex," saidBebawi, adding that several weeks into the renovation, they are still finding architectural quirks of the building.

The renovation, which started last spring,is currently on time and on budget, said LaurenceLavigneLalonde, the city's executive committee member responsible for theproject.

"It is still planned to [reopen] at the end of September 2019, there have not been delays," saidLalonde.

Director Yves Paris says the renovation will offer visitors an "experience of discovery."

"Access to the tropical rainforest from above will be an exceptional experience."

Visitors will also be able to use a mobile app to allow them to learn more about what they're seeing.

Parissaid they are also thinking about creating set hours for groups so the museum isn'toverloaded with visitors.

The Biodme opened in 1992, inside the building that served as the velodrome during the 1976 Olympics.

It includes five unique environments, each with flora and faunaindigenous to atropical rainforest, Laurentian maple forest, Gulf of St.Lawrence, Labrador coast and sub-Antarctic islands.

With files from Radio-Canada's Normand Grondin