SPRUCE GOOSE DOME


This is currently the largest geodesic dome extant, a hangar for Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose" flying boat at Long Beach, which was built in 1983 by Fuller's long-time associate Don Richter.

Its diameter, according to Martin Pawley, was 415ft, i.e. 126.5m if we refer to his Guardian article on Fuller of May 29th, 1989, but one year later, in his book on Fuller, this somehow grows to 129m (p.119), and then 135m (p.165).

One of the features which made the Ford Rotunda Dome remarkable when it was built was its lightness. Richter's dome was built on land reclaimed from the sea, which would normally entail substantial foundation costs. This dome was light enough to save $1 million.



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© Paul Taylor 2001