From Bruno Taut's glass house to the Crystal Palace, geodesic domes to the Millennium Dome, this illustrated exploration of lightness in architecture explains how and why the movement began, and shows where it might take us in the future. Architecture has been moving towards lightness since the beginning of the 20th century. As new building materials become available, and as land disappears, architects have focused on efficiency, impermanence and flexibility in structures. Illustrating the achievements of the most visionary architects of the past and present, Featherweights traces the evolution of lightness in architecture from the fantastic glass structures of the early 20th century to hi-tech materials for the third millennium. Covering everything from the pre-fab houses to inflatable buildings, utopian architecture to virtual cities, this exploration illustrates the ongoing dialogue between shelter and society and offers exciting glimpses into a future in which gravity is optional.