A Necessary Ruin: The Story of Buckminster Fuller and the Union Tank Car Dome (2010)

Upon its completion in October 1958, the Union Tank Car Dome, located north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was the largest clear-span structure in the world. Based on the engineering principles of the visionary design scientist and philosopher Buckminster Fuller, this geodesic dome was, at 384 feet in diameter, the first large scale example of this building type. A Necessary Ruin chronicles the dome’s history via interviews with architects, engineers, preservationists, media, and artists; animated sequences demonstrating the operation of the facility; and hundreds of rare photographs and video segments taken during the dome’s construction, decline, and demolition.

Director: Evan Mather
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 30 min
Release Date:
Original Language: en

Keywords

union tank car dome, buckminster fuller

More Films by Director: Evan Mather
More Films in Genre: Documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is A Necessary Ruin: The Story of Buckminster Fuller and the Union Tank Car Dome about?
Upon its completion in October 1958, the Union Tank Car Dome, located north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was the largest clear-span structure in the world. Based on the engineering principles of the visionary design scientist and philosopher Buckminster Fuller, this geodesic dome was, at 384 feet in diameter, the first large scale example of this building type. A Necessary Ruin chronicles the dome’s history via interviews with architects, engineers, preservationists, media, and artists; animated sequences demonstrating the operation of the facility; and hundreds of rare photographs and video segments taken during the dome’s construction, decline, and demolition.
Who directed A Necessary Ruin: The Story of Buckminster Fuller and the Union Tank Car Dome?
A Necessary Ruin: The Story of Buckminster Fuller and the Union Tank Car Dome was directed by Evan Mather.
How long is A Necessary Ruin: The Story of Buckminster Fuller and the Union Tank Car Dome?
A Necessary Ruin: The Story of Buckminster Fuller and the Union Tank Car Dome has a runtime of 30m (30 minutes).
What genre is A Necessary Ruin: The Story of Buckminster Fuller and the Union Tank Car Dome?
A Necessary Ruin: The Story of Buckminster Fuller and the Union Tank Car Dome is a Documentary film.