Read here about tensegrity structures composed of ninety struts, part of a series of pages organized by strut count.

24" Geodesic Metal Tensegrity

The design firm of Sadao & Zung Architects, Inc. produced a series of 50 90 strut tensegrities, with a letter of authenticiy signed by R. Buckminster Fuller.

Letter of Authenticity

The text of the letter of authenticity reads:

This letter confirms that this metal strut Tensegrity is a 3-frequency geodesic. It has 90 separate non-intertouching compression struts and one continuous-polyhedron defining tension network continuous tied back on itself. This unitary, omni-intertied, sphere-like continuous tension system network discloses 270 tensional intervals occurring between the 180 ends of the 90 non-continuous push-pull compression struts. The superficial geometry of this continuous tension tensegrity consists of 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons.

Each unit of this limited production series of 50 aluminum strutted tensegrities is handmade and is the only model of its kind authorized by R. Buckminster Fuller for such sgnatured production.

Buckminster Fuller coined the word Tensegrity, a contraction of his phrase tensional integrity, which in turn is a contraction of his original descriptive phrase, "discontinuous compression, continuous tension."

A Tensegrity system consists of a set of discontinuous compression spreader-struts as an aggregate of individual, outwardly-thrusting forces similar to those of all the kinetically accelerated molecules of air inside a basketball interacting with a comprehensively inter-connected, endlessly continuous tensile network serving as a comprehensive concentric force. The outwardly thrusting forces and the concentrically contracting forces altogether define a stable structural pattern assembly.

This Tensegrity model is a special case realization of the generalized principle governing the inherently resonating, equilibrious integration of all the gravitaion and radiation forces of Universe -- the generalized field equation for which Albert Einstein sought to formulate mathematically.