this volume contains 49 contributions presented at the iutam-iass symposium on deployable structures: theory and applications. the symposium brought together about 80 engineers, architects, biologists and applied mathematicians with a common interest in deployable structures. aerospace structures are currently at the leading edge, and this is reflected by a larger number of contributions covering the full spectrum of the symposium (concepts, simulations, testing, working systems). some of the work that originated in the aerospace field has been applied to biological structures. new developments for structures for terrestrial applications and new kinds of mechanisms for deployable structures applications are presented. this volume will be of interest to structural, mechanical, and aerospace engineers involved in lightweight structural systems, architects, and biologists involved in the growing field of biomimetics.