Charas: The Improbable Dome Builders - Paperback

Charas: The Improbable Dome Builders

In 1970, an unlikely meeting took place in a Lower East Side loft between R. Buckminster Fuller and six ex-gang members known as CHARAS. This encounter would spark an extraordinary project that combined revolutionary architecture with community transformation.

The Story Behind the Dome

After their conversation with Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome, these young men committed to implementing his radical ideas. Their goal was to develop community autonomy, reclaim public space, and give their lives new purpose. Under the guidance of Michael Ben-Eli, they studied solid geometry, spherical trigonometry, and dome construction principles before building a geodesic dome on a vacant lot beneath the Manhattan Bridge.

What's Inside This Expanded Edition

Originally published in 1973, this expanded edition provides an intimate documentary portrait through photographs and firsthand accounts. The first section chronicles the dome construction process, including intensive training sessions, funding challenges, accidental fires, community potlucks, and Buckminster Fuller's visits to witness their progress.

The second half features in-depth interviews with CHARAS members and their associates. These personal narratives reveal their experiences as gang leaders, struggles with addiction, time in prison, and their transformation through Fuller's applied philosophies. This edition includes a new interview with Michael Ben-Eli reflecting on the project four decades later.

A Document of 1970s Community Activism

This book captures a unique moment in New York City history when counterculture ideals, architectural innovation, and grassroots activism converged. It documents how six individuals from the streets of Manhattan transformed themselves and their community through the practical application of geodesic design principles.

Published by Pioneer Works Press

Format: Paperback

A story of the '70s: when six New York ex-gangsters met Buckminster Fuller and built a geodesic dome