Inflatable architecture is back in fashion says Sharon Francis, author of new book Bubbletecture. She picks out five key examples for Dezeen, including an office with an inflatable facade and a pavilion made out of bubbles.
Set to be published by Phaidon next month, Bubbletecture features more than 200 examples of inflatable architecture and design from the 1960s to the present day.
It aims to show how inflatables are being used in increasingly innovative ways.
"While bouncy castles and pool floats might be the populist face of air-filled objects, this book vividly demonstrates that the that the world of inflatables is far richer," Francis told Dezeen.
Here are Francis' picks of the five key projects featured in the book:
Media-ICT Building, Spain, by Enric Ruiz Geli, 2011
"This project uses ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) pneumatic panels ? lightweight, transparent layers of film inflated with low-pressure air ? to create structural, adjustable, thermally-responsive units.
"The building uses renewable energy sources, a green roof and solar panels to reduce carbon emissions by 95 per cent. It is equipped with multiple temperature sensors that collect exterior information to adjust interior conditions.
"I chose this as a lesser-known example of the use of ETFE panels, as opposed to The Eden Project or the Watercube. This building combines a playful expression with a site-responsive, seriously considered sustainability agenda."

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