The **Dymaxion Map**, also known as the **Fuller Projection** or **Dymaxion Projection**, is an innovative map of Earth created by architect and visionary thinker **Buckminster Fuller** in 1943. Unlike traditional world maps that distort the size, shape, or arrangement of continents, the Dymaxion Map is designed to present Earth with minimal distortion and without privileging any particular region or hemisphere. ![[Pasted image 20241104181302.png]] ### Key Features of the Dymaxion Map 1. **Icosahedral Projection**: The Dymaxion Map is based on an icosahedron, a polyhedron with 20 triangular faces, which Fuller unfolded and projected into a two-dimensional map. This shape was chosen because it allowed for more accurate representation of landmasses and ocean distribution without the stretching seen in traditional maps. 2. **Minimal Distortion**: By projecting the Earth onto an icosahedron and then flattening it out, Fuller minimized the usual distortions found in other map projections. The Dymaxion Map preserves relative sizes and shapes of continents much more accurately than maps like the Mercator projection, which stretches areas near the poles, making regions like Greenland appear larger than they are. 3. **Focus on Global Unity**: One of Fuller’s goals with the Dymaxion Map was to provide a visualization of Earth that emphasized the interconnectedness of humanity, rather than reinforcing traditional boundaries. The map can be arranged in various configurations, with no "up" or "down" orientation, making it clear that all regions are part of a single, interconnected planet. 4. **Uninterrupted Landmasses**: Unlike many other map projections, the Dymaxion Map shows the world’s landmasses as a nearly continuous, unbroken “island” or supercontinent, with oceans surrounding it. This approach highlights Earth’s geographical unity and reinforces the idea that countries and continents are connected, rather than isolated. 5. **Flexible Configurations**: Because it’s based on an icosahedron, the Dymaxion Map can be folded and rearranged into a three-dimensional form or reconfigured in two dimensions. This flexibility allows it to be presented in multiple ways, depending on which regions or relationships one wants to emphasize. ![[Pasted image 20241104181336.png]] ### Implications and Influence of the Dymaxion Map Fuller’s Dymaxion Map was an attempt to shift away from conventional, Eurocentric perspectives on geography and emphasize a worldview that celebrates interconnectedness and cooperation. By moving away from north-south orientations and focusing on Earth as a unified “Spaceship Earth,” Fuller encouraged people to think beyond political and geographical boundaries. The Dymaxion Map has since become an icon of design and is often used in educational contexts to promote a global, holistic perspective on geography.