Drawing of a structure emerging from a rock formation. The structure is comprised of ten six-sided, diamond-shaped floors. In between the rock formation and structure is a long, supporting mast, as well as cables, holding the structure in place.

The image is Courtesy, The Estate of R. Buckminster Fuller (info@buckminsterfuller.net). See our image rights statement.

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Object Timeline

1928	Work on this object began.
1970	We photographed this object.
1991	We acquired this object.
2014	We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Drawing, The Ten-Deck House, 1928

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.

An inverted cone-shaped, shiny, silver-plated metal vase, with two triangular planes at the base, such that the point of the cone bisects them.

Vase Vase
silver plated, nickel.
Museum purchase from Decorative Arts Association Acquisition and General....
1993-111-1

Bell Tower Model
carved and turned pearwood.
Gift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw.
2014-11-1

This drawing depicts a multiple-story building using thin lines from the base of the building looking upward. Angled diagonally to the top lefft corner, the building shoots out of of the ground surrounded by triangles with sketched lines, resembling mini mountains. The core of the building is long and slim, the first story landing starting far up from the ground. Directly underneath the first story balcony is a blue, geodesic space with six visible glass walls, that encloses the middle of the building. It is the only color on the page, depicted using a sky-blue. From there, the drawing shows the underside of what looks to be balconies highlighting the multi-storied nature of the building. With the exterior walls of the building further inward, each story or 'deck' extends outward in a tiered, pagoda-like manner. At the top of the building is a construction crane, its hook extending all the way from the top to the glass enclosure.

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:

Drawing, "Geomechanical Tower" from Centricity Series

Drawing, "Geomechanical Tower" from Centricity Series
color pencil on strathmore paper.
Museum purchase from Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program....
1999-23-1

Book cover with front and back design opened fully, the design comprised of diagonal, interconnected black lines or beams against a white background that extends from the front to the back cover, and extends to the bottom of entire page. The beams create bold triangles, hexagons and parallelagrams in varied sizes in a random pattern. Along the left, right, and top margins is a square, white space of background. On the top right of the white space in thick, block, red font reads R. Buckminster Fuller, and in black underneath, reads Makers of Contemporary Architecture. The author, John McHale, is in small text and black ink. In the same motif, along the spine vertically reads R. Buckminster Fuller in red and the author and publisher in small black text.

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, Design for Indiana Tower
charcoal, graphite on paper.
Museum purchase through bequest of Erskine Hewitt.
1985-63-8

Its dimensions are

27.9 x 21.6 cm (11 x 8 1/2 in.)

Cite this object as

Drawing, The Ten-Deck House, 1928; 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.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2Dw1v/
Accession Number 1991-53-2
Object ID 18636589