A/N Blog . Burning Man Architecture Amazes

Burning Man Architecture Amazes

West | Thursday, September 2, 2010 | Sam Lubell.

Serpent Mother, by the Flaming Lotus Girls

Proving our theory that the best architecture these days is installation architecture, the work on display this year at Burning Man is blowing us away. The theme this year is Metropolis: The Art of Cities, making for some even more inspired (and, of course out there..) art/architecture installations, which include:

Future’s Past, by Kate Raudenbush. The angular black steel “roots” of this installation resemble computer circuitry in the shape of a stepped pyramid. Above them the artist has created a bronze-colored Bodhi tree, representing the triumph of nature over modern consumption.

Future's Past (photo by Dan Dawson)

Aeolian Pyrophonic Hall & Whispering Wall, by Capra J’neva. A sound installation incorporating a wind harp, fire organ, and the voices of those at Burning Man, the hall wraps Burning Man “citizens” in dappled sunlight during the daytime, shadowy effects at night and surrounds them with sounds evocative of the desert.

Aeolian Hall (photo by Dan Dawson)

Mant Farm, by the Sober Free Society, Seattle, WA. The Mant Farm is an immersive vertical maze; a.k.a. a working ant farm built to human scale.

Mantfarm (photo by Dan Dawson)

Minaret, by Bryan Tedrick, Glen Ellen, CA. A 50 foot tower that can be scaled externally to the midpoint, then entered into and climbed to the top. A latticed stainless steel dome on top allows people to see out without the danger of falling.The tower, built out of steel and redwood, is built in 6 sections. The bottom 3 were built like a lion’s vertebrae. The upper 3 sections are painted to resemble snake skin and are smooth to discourage more climbing. An interior access portal allows people to climb up to the dome.

Minaret (photo by Dan Dawson)

Spire of Fire, by Steve Atkins and Eric Smith, Reno, NV. The Spire of Fire, a 48-ft blend of steel, fire, and light, is designed to “reflect the evolution of modern metropolitan architecture.” At night it will feature brightly colored lights and bursts of rhythmic flame reflected off of stainless steel.

Installing the Spire of Fire

Syzygryd, by Interpretive Arson, False Profit Labs, and GAFFTA, Oakland, CA. A town square for the collaborative creation of music. According to its creators, it’s “a public space, it’s a sculpture, and it’s a musical instrument.”

Temple of Flux, by Rebecca Anders, Jessica Hobbs, Peter Kimelman and Crew, Berkeley, CA. The Temple of Flux, according to its creators, stands as a “counter-monument,” made of hundreds of thin timber members arcing into the air.

Temple of Flux

Zark! by Quentin Davis, Bala Cynwyd, PA. This sculpture appears to be a huge caterpillar at a distance, glowing in the darkness. Inside this organic architecture, participants will find a miniature “ruin” of playa mud brick buildings.