One of Bucky Fuller's Most Realized Domes, Revitalized

25 miles east of Cleveland you'll find a futuristic-looking office building featuring a gigantic geodesic dome. Metropolis Magazine looks at the building's history and the preservation efforts that recently restored it.

1 minute read

November 13, 2011, 9:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


The building was designed in 1959 by Cleveland architect John Terence Kelly, but the dome is pure Buckminster Fuller. William Hunt Eisenman, one of the founding members of ASM International, hired Fuller to design the dome for the organization's office building.

"A $7 million restoration and renovation of Kelly's office building, completed last August, has not only returned the ASM complex to its 1959 appearance, but may well be a harbinger of how federal and state historic-preservation tax credits can be used to revitalize midcentury modern buildings," writes Steven Litt.


Photo:Ohio Office of Redevelopment.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 in Metropolis

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of autonomous cargo train moving across bridge across river in wooded area between Texas and Mexico.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor

The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

June 17 - FreightWaves

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

June 17 - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

June 17 - Mass Transit