Mexican designer Norberto Miranda has created an inflatable “museographic device” made from PVC with a built-in shelf supported by air pressure.

Named Intermittent Dome, the structure was created for The Arts and Cultures Program at Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (TEC) in Monterrey, Mexico, and was tied to a workshop designed to teach students about upcycling in design.

Made from clear PVC, the dome is six metres tall with striations marked by white PVC sheets that, according to Miranda, give the structure a “mise en abyme” effect.

Norberto Miranda has installed an inflatable installation at TEC in Monterrey, Mexico

One of the circular bands that makes up the dome forms a shelf within the walls of the structure and is accessible from inside via four zippers.

“Zippers access air cells into what could be the thinnest shelf ever, 0.35 millimetres thick, totally suspended by air pressure,” said Miranda.

“It has four access points and is a very silly process [to access] because it literally blows your face [when you open it]; we developed some skills to get the material passed the zipper but once inside it behaves pretty well.”

It is made out of PVC

The shelf runs around the perimeter and can be used to showcase items for educational purposes or student work.

Air is constantly being pump into the structure to maintain the form. A vent at the top helps to modulate the temperature inside the structure, which is directly affected by the outside conditions.

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“The dome has a hole in the last segment, that makes a natural ventilation at the top – it gets hot if you put it outside at the straight sun,” said Miranda.

“It does provide some shade, though, and shelter from the rain. Ultimately, it replicates the outside conditions, offering diffraction of light entering.”

It was created for design education

Though Miranda often works with recycled plastics through his design studio Bolson, he opted to use virgin PVC fabricated by Jalisco-based manufacturer Publiglobos to assure structural consistency and to achieve a see-through finish.

TEC will host workshops in the dome geared towards upcycling processes, and Miranda said he will field proposals for ways to recycle the dome once the programming is complete.

Miranda said it has a shelf that may be the “thinnest” in the world

He said that some of the dome may be converted into the handbags Bolson is known for, but that he wants students to “develop the sensibility” addressing the afterlife of projects, noting that no matter what the entirety of the dome will be reprocessed.

Miranda was featured in a cross-section of Guadalajara’s design scene as part of Dezeen’s North American Design 2024 series.

Other inflatables meant for occupation include a “womb-like” installation created by Annabelle Schneider during NYCxDesign.

The photography is courtesy of Norberto Miranda.

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