Dome

Richard Buckminster Fuller, 1975 / 2000

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.

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