Save the Historic Buckminster Fuller Dome at SIUE

EMERGENCY ALERT: We have been informed that the Fuller Dome's heating and air conditioning system will not make it through another season. The system has been breaking down lately and in recent years we have been applying temporary fixes to the dome's antiquated fossil fuel-based system but now it must be completely replaced. This miniature earth dome is Buckminster Fuller's masterwork and its preservation represents an opportunity for us to demonstrate our collective values in caring for our cultural heritage as well as the planet. We are taking this costly need for maintenance as an opportunity to pivot the dome's energy source away from fossil fuels and towards electricity and ultimately renewable energy. This is the first phase of a major preservation and greening project that begins with this emergency need to stabilize the dome's antiquated climate control system.

After stabilizing the climate control system with your help, the next phases of this project will involve adding a green roof to the old flat roof that surrounds the dome, as well as adding an entry plaza for ADA accessibility and finally erecting a solar field over a parking lot to make the dome's operation completely carbon neutral. This is a considerable expense and we need your help to continue fulfilling the dome's mission to promote humanity's sacred connection to the earth and each other.

www.FullerDome.org

52 years ago, Buckminster Fuller and his architectural partner Shoji Sadao completed construction on a landmark geodesic dome that they designed as a Religious Center for the newly founded Southern Illinois University campus at Edwardsville, IL. The dome they created was the realization of a vision that Bucky had for a building idea he called a “Geoscope.” His “Geoscope” concept would be a spherical, translucent, miniature earth building that would allow its occupants a unique architectural vantage point to see their place in the world and the world’s place in the universe. This was achieved by aligning the longitudinal lines of the building’s miniature earth dome with those of the actual earth. In Bucky’s words, "a sense of orientation of each human individual within the profound magnificence of Universe is provided by the Center’s miniature earth. One goes inside to go outside one’s self and into the center of the Earth and thence outward to the stars in seconds. The Edwardsville Center becomes at once a cathedral of universal reality and a cathedral of universal mystery…" Bucky envisioned building “Geoscopes” all over the world, straddling key lines of longitude around the planet. He eventually had the opportunity to build his “Geoscope” straddling the earth’s 90th Meridian in Edwardsville, IL on the SIUE campus. That building was dedicated in 1971, and today the Fuller Dome in Edwardsville Illinois is managed by the nonprofit organization, Center for Spirituality and Sustainability. It stands as the only built example in the world of Bucky’s “Geoscope” concept. Since 1971 the Center has served the University and area communities as a place for multifaith and interfaith activity on land leased from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). A variety of educational, cultural and social events are held throughout the year inside this landmark structure.

Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Baha’i and Native American faith traditions hold devotions, celebrations and public programs at the Center. A “Celebration of World Faiths” is held annually, highlighting various faith traditions and interfaith issues. The Center also hosts an annual awards ceremony honoring two awardees each year. One award is presented for spiritual leadership and another for leadership in sustainability. These annual dual awards allow the Center to recognize those who have shown leadership values that reinforce the Center's mission to promote humanity's sacred connection to the Earth and each other.

The Center's vision is to preserve the Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome in Edwardsville, Illinois, as the physical embodiment of Fuller's philosophy. The dome's translucent "miniature Earth" is a beacon for global unity, providing a place for connecting the world's cultural and spiritual traditions through their common concern for the planet.