Air-supported structure
pressurized building-size envelope
An air-supported (or air-inflated) structure is any building that derives its structural integrity from the use of internal pressurized air to inflate a pliable material (i.e. structural fabric) envelope, so that air is the main support of the structure, and where access is via airlocks.
The first air-supported structure built in history was the radome manufactured at the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in 1948 by Walter Bird.
The concept was implemented on a large scale by David H. Geiger with the United States pavilion at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan, in 1970.
It is usually dome-shaped, since this shape creates the greatest volume for the least material. To maintain structural integrity, the structure must be pressurized such that the internal pressure equals or exceeds any external pressure being applied to the structure (i.e. wind pressure). The structure does not have to be airtight to retain structural integrity—as long as the pressurization system that supplies internal pressure replaces any air leakage, the structure will remain stable. All access to the structure interior must be equipped with some form of airlock—typically either two sets of parallel doors or a revolving door or both. Air-supported structures are secured by heavy weights on the ground, ground anchors, attachment to a foundation, or a combination of these.
The public source identifies “Air-supported structure” as pressurized building-size envelope. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Air-supported, structure and pressurized.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Air-supported structure”, the useful work is to connect “pressurized building-size envelope” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q474568. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1948 and 1970.
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This entry incorporates text from “Air-supported structure” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.