Burning Man Temple
Project: Burning Man Temple Of Promise
Help Conceptualize And Execute The Burning Man Temple
Deliverables
Ideation, 3D Model, Pre-Visualization
Collaborators
Jazz Tigan, The 'Temple Team', The Burning Man Project
Burning Man is an annual gathering of thousands of people in the Playa of northern Nevada. There are two structures constructed by the Burning Man organization. The first is “ The Man” itself which is constructed prior to the festival and the second is the Temple. For the uninitiated ( like myself ) the temple is the spiritual center of the event. People are invited to post pictures and write on the temple in order to grieve or say good bye to those that had been lost over the last year, get married, exchange vows, and to share these experiences with others. At the end of the week long event, both "The Man" and the temple are burned down closing the event for the year.
Design Process
My role on the team was to help with the conceptual experience, and design iteration of the temple. I also contributed to the construction of a number of 3D models and Renderings that helped the team work through structural issues. We also did a very rough material pass, and thought about the lighting and temperature during the day. Once the 3D model had been built, a physical model was then constructed by Jazz and the team in order to sell the concept to The Burning Man Foundation. Having something physically submitted was abnormal and the size of the model forced the committee that was housing it, to look, and think about it every day. This worked and once we found out that the design had been accepted we were off and running.
The next part of the process was to raise the funds in order to erect the structure and assemble a team that was capable of taking the project further. Made up entirely of volunteers the team was able to raise the $300,000 needed to build the temple. Workspaces had to be created. structural engineers began to look at the initial designs and the project began to really take shape.
The height of the head of the stucture was inteded to be the focal point and draw people not only towards the structure but also to invite them to pass through it. The spiral forced people to enter in order to experience it fully. No peeking and moving on.
Part of the thinking behind the temple was that there might be a literal beginning and an end. Keeping in mind the cycle that the temple was intended to represent. Entering through the front the structure becomes tighter and tighter as people pass through it, until you exit the spiral and you are presented with the trees and the memories that hung from the branches. We took a more literal approach to the temple than had been done before in my opinion. Inviting people to walk through the structure and experience it, rather than sit and marvel at what it was that had been constructed. To read more on the project check out the article that Fast Company did on the project here
