R. Buckminster Fuller | People | Collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

R. Buckminster Fuller was a renowned 20th century inventor. He is probably most known for the innovation of geodesic domes and what he termed "tensegrity," a structural principle based on the use of components in compression inside a net of continuous tension. He worked across fields to address global problems, tackling issues related to housing, shelter, transportation, education, energy, ecological destruction, and poverty. Throughout the course of his life, Fuller held 28 patents, authored 28 books, and received 47 honorary degrees.

We have 6 objects that R. Buckminster Fuller has been involved with.

Drawing, Dymaxion Car (Car #C-2), Body Framing, Plan, and Elevation

Drawing of a structure emerging from a rock formation. The structure is comprised of ten six-sided, diamond-shaped floors. In between the rock formation and structure is a long, supporting mast, as well as cables, holding the structure in place.

A page dated June 29, 1954 by R. B. Fuller building construction. Figure 1 lies to the left of a grid hemisphere with number notations, 20, 21, 22, 25. Below is a gridded sphere with number notations 20, 21, 22, 25 with Figure 2 to the bottom left. Text typed slightly over sphere with Inventor Richard Buckminster Fuller.

Book cover with front and back design opened fully, the design comprised of diagonal, interconnected black lines or beams against a white background that extends from the front to the back cover, and extends to the bottom of entire page. The beams create bold triangles, hexagons and parallelagrams in varied sizes in a random pattern. Along the left, right, and top margins is a square, white space of background. On the top right of the white space in thick, block, red font reads R. Buckminster Fuller, and in black underneath, reads Makers of Contemporary Architecture. The author, John McHale, is in small text and black ink. In the same motif, along the spine vertically reads R. Buckminster Fuller in red and the author and publisher in small black text.

This drawing depicts a multiple-story building using thin lines from the base of the building looking upward. Angled diagonally to the top lefft corner, the building shoots out of of the ground surrounded by triangles with sketched lines, resembling mini mountains. The core of the building is long and slim, the first story landing starting far up from the ground. Directly underneath the first story balcony is a blue, geodesic space with six visible glass walls, that encloses the middle of the building. It is the only color on the page, depicted using a sky-blue. From there, the drawing shows the underside of what looks to be balconies highlighting the multi-storied nature of the building. With the exterior walls of the building further inward, each story or 'deck' extends outward in a tiered, pagoda-like manner. At the top of the building is a construction crane, its hook extending all the way from the top to the glass enclosure.

Drawing, Dymaxion Car with Chain Drive Details

R. Buckminster Fuller has collaborated with
George Braziller and
Elaine Lustig Cohen and
John McHale.

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Person ID: 18042337
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