# Tensegrity Applications to Architecture, Engineering and Robotics: A Review
## 2 Applications for AEC
### Domes and Roofs
(**b**) Opening of completed La Plata Stadium [34] (image from [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EstadioUnico_Ciudad_de_La_Plata.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EstadioUnico_Ciudad_de_La_Plata.jpg)]([https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EstadioUnico_Ciudad_de_La_Plata.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EstadioUnico_Ciudad_de_La_Plata.jpg)), (accessed on 15 September 2022)). (**c**) Georgia Dome in Atlanta (from [[https://www.birdair.com/birdair-portfolio/georgia-dome/](https://www.birdair.com/birdair-portfolio/georgia-dome/)]([https://www.birdair.com/birdair-portfolio/georgia-dome/](https://www.birdair.com/birdair-portfolio/georgia-dome/)), (accessed on 15 September 2022)). (**d**) World Cycling Center dome [35] (Image courtesy of [PERSON]). The tensegrity structure is supported by 28 struts that are joint by prestressed diagonal cables, placed through the perimeter of the arena. However, the authors of the present communication have discovered that this cable dome typology had already been designed previously by [PERSON] in 1949 in the Summer Institute, at Black Mountain College. In one of the pictures of the Western Regional Archives (Figure 5), [PERSON] can be seen building some models, in the background of this photo on the right-hand side, a cable dome can be seen precisely (also called wire wheel dome) modelled inside a bicycle wheel. In order to substitute the external ring in compression, [PERSON] [39] proposed the use of a tensegrity torus, so that the whole dome was in self-equilibrium and did not depend on external supports. Additionally, she replaced the conventional cables by a set of membranes in tension with two purposes: prestressing the structure and serving as a cladding for covering the roof (Figure 6). Figure 5: [PERSON] with the first cable dome or wire wheel dome (highlighted in yellow), in 1949 at the Summer Institute, Black Mountain College (Image courtesy of Western Regional Archives). Figure 6: (**a**) Prototype for a tensegrity roof structure made of cables and bars [39]. (**b**) Wind turbine test on a smaller prototype made of textile membranes and bars [40]. (Images courtesy of [PERSON]). Some other prototypes of tensile tensegrity structures were proposed by [PERSON] et al. [41], a knit tensegrity shell composed by an elastic membrane and bamboo struts to make canopies appropriate to the warm, humid climate of Singapore (Figure 7a). Another example of canopies made with bamboo and tensile membranes is the one by [PERSON] [42], although in this case it was composed by the juxtaposition of expanded cuboctahedrons (Figure 7b). However, even if these structures look like very modern and ground-breaking, there were some precedents in the 1980s. In his book, [PERSON] [43] refers to some tensegrity structures built by means of metallic poles, cables and membranes, to configure entrance canopies (Figure 8a,d), supports of triangular truss bridges (Figure 8b) or tensegrity structures with prestressed membranes as infill elements (Figure 8c). During the winter, the membrane of the Hemweg structure (Figure 8d), designed by [PERSON] and [PERSON] in 1982, was removed and stored to retain only the white aluminum tubular poles suspended in the air, connected by the steel wires. At the same time that [PERSON] designed the Aspenston dome, [PERSON] tried to reflect the floating compression concept on a roof. He included it in his first patent by using the x-shaped units [23]. However, it was not until some years later that he accomplished his idea of building the first tensegrity grid by juxtaposing several simple modules (Figure 9a). [PERSON] and [PERSON] continued this idea related to double layer tensegrity grids (DLTGs) [14; 44]. When generating a single or double curvature from them, it is possible to generate a dome-like structure. This was partially achieved by [PERSON] [45]. They designed a \"semi-open exhibition space\" submitted as an entry to the international architectural competition \"Ephemeral Structure for the City of Athens\" (Figure 9b).