The image is Courtesy, The Estate of R. Buckminster Fuller (info@buckminsterfuller.net). See our image rights statement.
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Object Timeline
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1928 |
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1970 |
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1991 |
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2014 |
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2025 |
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Drawing, The Ten-Deck House
This is a Drawing. It was architect: R. Buckminster Fuller. It is dated 1928 and we acquired it in 1991. Its medium is graphite on white wove paper . It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.
Frustrated after he left the Navy, Fuller dedicated himself to the betterment of mankind through the elaboration of social projects, involving housing developments to cater for humanity’s growing need in homes. This “Ten-Deck House” drawing is an original sketch exemplifying one of Fuller’s earlier ideas for a mass-produced, light-weight housing project. It represents ten geometrically shaped floors incorporated into an aluminum structure, supported by a central mast and cables. Fuller intended for the entire structure to be air-lifted by zeppelin and placed in situ by exploding a crater, which the mast would fit into. The ten decks would comprise four floors of living space, with a separate floor for servants, a nursery, library, pool, gym and finally a sky promenade. The multi-functional nature of such a building would also liberate space on the ground for cars and other vehicles. Unfortunately for Fuller this project was never realized.
It is credited Museum purchase from Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program Fund.
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- Gift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw.
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- Print, Design for the Ten-Deck House
- mimeograph print, brush and blue watercolor on white paper.
- Museum purchase from Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program....
- 1991-53-1
Our curators have highlighted 8 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:
- Book Cover, R. Buckminster Fuller, Makers of Contemporary Architecture Series
- offset lithograph on glossy white paper.
- Gift of Tamar Cohen and Dave Slatoff.
- 1993-31-51
- Drawing, Dymaxion Car with Chain Drive Details
- graphite on tracing paper.
- Museum purchase through gift of Mrs. John Innes Kane and from Sarah....
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- Drawing, Dymaxion Car (Car #C-2), Body Framing, Plan, and Elevation
- pen and black ink on tracing paper.
- Museum purchase from Sarah Cooper-Hewitt and Pauline Cooper Noyes Funds.
- 1993-79-1
Its dimensions are
27.9 x 21.6 cm (11 x 8 1/2 in.)
Cite this object as
Drawing, The Ten-Deck House; Architect: R. Buckminster Fuller (American, 1895–1983); USA; graphite on white wove paper ; 27.9 x 21.6 cm (11 x 8 1/2 in.) ; Museum purchase from Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program Fund; 1991-53-2
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Making Design.
