Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/48690
THE FUTURE PERFECT but Buckminster Fuller was truly a man on the breaking curl of every design wave. The architect, designer and walk- ing around genius was profoundly creative and everywhere at once, and his work is fun, groovy and in sync with na- ture's fundamental laws. And during Design Miami/, two of his most famous and innovative creations will be on dis- play in the Miami Design District, a perfect—and handy— opportunity to see a piece of design history. For the first time in decades, Fuller's Fly's Eye Dome and Dymaxion 4 Car are on view together, contained within an exhibition entitled "Architecting the Future: Buckminster Fuller & Norman Foster." Fuller's Fly's Eye Dome is a remarkable piece of think- ing, a fully-functional, on-and-off-the-grid shelter that can be readily transported: this is smart design that serves a higher good of being effective emergency housing. Only three prototypes of the Fly Eye Dome exist, in three differ- ent sizes: 12 foot, 24 foot and 50 foot diameter. An his- toric restoration of the 24-foot dome was recently completed in Bristol, Rhode Island, and this particular scrap of Fuller Dome Land will be shown in the Miami De- sign District during Design Miami/. The Fly Eye Dome is joined by Fuller's Dymaxion, a 'omni-directional transport system.' It was beyond futuris- tic at the time, a flying device that was intended to take off and move about like a cross between a helicopter and hovercraft. Fuller designed the Dymaxion with the idea that, one fine design day, the nuts and bolts stuff—en- gines, alloys, etc.—would catch up to his vision. Only three Dymaxions were produced in Fuller's lifetime; this particu- lar legacy has been carried on by Lord Norman Foster, who recently reconstructed Fuller's Dymaxion Car in England, dubbing the finished project Dymaxion 4. "Architecting the Future: Buckminster Fuller & Norman Foster" includes archival materials on loan from Lord and Lady Foster and the Buckminster Fuller Institute. The 24- foot Fly Eye Dome is a part of the Craig Robins Collection and will eventually be installed in a pedestrian plaza, cur- rently being developed in the Miami Design District. Together, Fly Eye Dome and the Dymaxion Car are two iconic designs, and will give Design Miami/ visitors a glimpse into how Buckminster Fuller envisioned the progress of mankind. Buckminster Fuller was a man who saw the future and made it work.—Tom Austin 46 CULTURED 23 Two of Buckminster Fuller's greatest achievements land in the Design District this December. The title of visionary is thrown all over the place lately, PHOTO BY ROGER STOLLER