Spacebuster: Inflatable Building Rises in Lower Manhattan

A giant, inflatable plastic dome has touched down on the far West Side -- it's called Spacebuster. The portable pavilion is a project of Raumlabor, a Berlin-based group of architects and urban designers who specialize in reclaiming unused urban space. Benjamin Foster-Baldenius is a member of Raumlabor. He says the inflatable space makes run-down or vacant urban areas into workable places for community gatherings. The dome will float around the city for the next 10 days -- hosting lectures about urban design, movie screenings, even a dance party. It's a project of the Storefront for Art and Architecture. You can see a video of Spacebuster being set up under the Highline. And check out WNYC's Cityscapes project, which looks at new thinking about architecture in New York.