project

Richard Buckminster Fuller Dome 1975 / 2000

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General information

  • Home page
    https://www.vitra.com/en-us/campus/architecture/architecture-dome
  • Location address
    Weil am Rhein
  • Location country
    Germany
  • Year of construction
    2000
  • Function of building
    Exhibition
  • Degree of enclosure
    Fully enclosed structure
  • Number of layers
    mono-layer
  • Type of application of the membrane
    covering
  • Primary function of the tensile structure
    • Rain protection
    • Space defining elements

Description

Influenced by his experiences during the second World War, Richard Buckminster Fuller designed a modified geodesic dome as housing for army troop units, the wounded or refugees. The aluminium tubes that form the frame are connected via a plug-in system. This facilitates the construction’s quick assembly and dismantling. Buckminster Fuller’s construction principle was patented in 1954 in the USA.

The Dome on the Vitra Campus was created in 1975 at Charter Industries and was the product of a collaboration with Thomas C. Howard. In 1978/79, it was used as a car showroom in Detroit (USA). In 2000, Rolf Fehlbaum bought it at an auction and installed it in Weil am Rhein in the same year. Today, the tent construction is used as a space for events and exhibitions.

Description of the environmental conditions

Material of the cover

  • Cable-net/Fabric/Hybrid/Foil
    Fabric

Main dimensions and form

  • Form single element
    Anticlastic
  • Form entire structure
    Synclastic

Duration of use

  • Temporary or permanent structure
    Temporary
  • Design lifespan in years
    11-20

Involved companies

Editor