Theobald elaborated on the spring 1958 groundbreaking and formal announcement dinner that followed at the Union Club in Cleveland, Ohio where Fuller was the guest speaker.

Theobald describes Fuller's presentation as "a marathon, rambling dissertation" in which he proposed "that the most important advances on the future would be invisible."

In his essay, Theobald compares Fuller's vision from 1958 to reality in 2010, an era of the Internet, DNA, genome mapping, and nano technology.

[2][8][9] The dome is built using approximately 65,000 parts, including 13 miles of extruded aluminum tubing and tension rods bolted into hexagons.

[2][9] The 50,000-square foot headquarter building is a three-story semi-circular shaped concrete structure that occupies two-fifths of the piazza perimeter.

[2] A 16-foot-high (4.9 m) fountain sculpture entitled "ASM Singularity," made from copper, titanium, and stainless steel created by Eric Orr was added as well.

[2][8] On the cover of ASM International's 1999 annual report it states: "In mathematical terms, singularity is the point of a curve at which dramatic changes take place.

Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die.

"[2][8] In 2010, the headquarters underwent renovations and restorations led by the Chesler Group of Cleveland and Dimit Architects of Lakewood, Ohio.

[13] A 1953-commissioned seven-panel brushed aluminum mural created by metals artist Nikos Bel-Jon called the “History of Iron”, once used at ASM trade shows, now hangs throughout the headquarters building.