The Buckminster FULLER DOME • Edwardsville Illinois
center for spirituality and sustainability, promoting humanity’s sacred connection to the earth and each other
2023 Spirituality and Sustainability Awards
THANK YOU to everyone who joined us in us in the Buckminster Fuller Dome for the 20th Annual Spirituality and Sustainability Awards. Click here to see highlights from this inspiring evening.
This is the vital first step in a larger project to restore and green the Fuller Dome.
Our current Go Fund Me campaign is to stabilize the dome.
The illustration above is a piece of early concept art by architect Gary Karasek that envisions subsequent phases of our plans for the renovating and greening of the Fuller Dome. His illustration depicts the dome with a new green roof covering the old flat roof that surrounds the dome, the 90th Meridian is marked with a new entryway coming from the south and renewable energy sources in the form of solar panels and wind turbines. Our current crowd funding campaign will begin this project by replacing the dome’s old gas boiler system. https://gofund.me/4285a339https
We are a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the Fuller Dome & bringing spiritually & sustainably-aligned events & organizations to our community. We appreciate your support! Donate here.
Soul Sunday in the Fuller Dome
Join us every Sunday at 10:30 AM in the Fuller Dome for “Soul Sunday.” The heart of this spiritual gathering is the sharing of prayers, inspirational readings, and passages from the scriptures of many faiths. Beyond that, there is no set form. You are welcome to simply sit, meditate and enjoy the spiritual atmosphere, or take a more active role by bringing and reading spiritual writings that uplift you. All are welcome. Masks are optional.
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.
The Center's Fuller designed geodesic dome under construction in 1971
The Center for Spirituality and Sustainability is an independent, not-for-profit organization located in a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller on land leased from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). Since 1971 the Center has served the University and area communities as a place for multifaith and interfaith activity. 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 recognize those who have shown leadership values that reenforce the Center's mission to promote humanity's sacred connection to the Earth and each other.
360° VR TOUR
click here to load the Fuller Dome 360° VR tour
Join our sustaining membership, become a “Friend of the Center” and you’ll get two challenge coins mailed to you when you become a “Friend of the Center” one is for you to keep and the second one is for you to gift as a lovely way of recognizing graduations, promotions & life’s special moments. Bucky’s inspirational quote can be a reminder for your loved one to build the world they wish to live in, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” - RBF
A 50th Anniversary reading of Buckminster Fuller's "Geoview" essay, originally read by Bucky for the 1971 dedication of his Religious Center, miniature-earth, "Geoscope" dome built on the SIUE campus. "Geoview" is read here on 10/22/21 (50 years from the day Bucky read it) by Bucky's grandson Jaime Snyder, his granddaughter Alexandra Snyder May, Bucky scholar David McConville, Bucky's colleague Amy Edmondson, Bucky devotee Benjamin Lowder, Bucky's niece Lucilla Fuller Marvel, and author of the Bucky play D. W. Jacobs. Today the Center is known as the Fuller Dome and it is managed by a nonprofit org. the Center for Spirituality & Sustainability.
Remembering Allegra Fuller Snyder • August 28, 1927 - July 11, 2021
We are mourning the passing of Allegra Fuller Snyder. Her family shared with us that Allegra passed on Sunday, July 11th with the same ease and grace that she lived her life. Allegra was a dancer, UCLA professor, dance ethnologist, choreographer, and author. She shared her joy and enthusiasm for life through her love of dance.
50 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 it’s 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 non profit organization, Center for Spirituality and Sustainability. It stands has the only built example in the world of Bucky’s “Geoscope” concept.
Senator Crowe Visits the Fuller Dome… The senator was excited about using her position on the Senate Tourism and Hospitality Committee to elevate the CSS and help meet its objectives. “The Center fits in exactly with what we need in our area – tourism. We need to get the word out better about Mr. Fuller and everything he has contributed, so we can draw people here.”
Our regular hours are 10AM - 3PM • Mon - Fri
Hours can vary during holidays or special events. Please inquire at fullerdome@outlook.com to plan your visit!
Our dome is located on the campus of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and we are following the University’s and the State of Illinois’ guidelines for preventing the transmission of Covid-19. Thank you for helping us stop the spread and ease the burden on our heroic health care workers. With compassion and cooperation we will get through the pandemic together and be stronger for our efforts.