Confluence Dome is a free standing, open air, eight-lobed—or octofoil—dome. Rather than using pendentives or squniches, which support a dome by resting on perimeter columns or walls, Confluence Dome’s octofoil geometry permits an intermediate structural system allowing for an open interior volume and a free perimeter. Eight structural cores circumscribe the central volume, supporting viewing platforms and the dome’s shell.  Confluence Dome has four public levels. The Under Dome is divided into a grassy pyramid’s four sides housing ticketing, a café, gift shop, gallery, and public restrooms. The Belvedere, 30’-0” above ground, is an idyllic platform at the center of the dome accessed from the grassy pyramid. Before reaching the Sky View, 126’-6” above ground, elevators drop visitors off at the Procession Level, 100’-0” above ground. The final 26.5 foot ascent unfurls along a gently sloping helical ramp cutting through the dome’s inner mass. As visitors ascend, they encounter four portals overlooking the landscape below. This procession heightens anticipation while creating a utility space below The Sky View where the elevator lift houses are contained. The Sky View level reveals panoramic views with a 47’-0” diameter oculus framing the sky above.