Burning Man Unveils 2020 Temple Design Inspired By ‘Birthplace Of Fire’
Image via Burning Man
The annual Burning Man Festival has shone a light on its centerpiece for 2020. The temporary eight-pointed angular structure was designed by Colorado-based architect Renzo Verbeck and installation artist Sylvia Adrienne Lisse was the winning design among several proposals from various teams, and will serve as the event’s temple this year.
The monument is called Empyrean, named after “a region beyond the physical realm” that is “believed to be the birthplace of fire,” the duo explained in a statement obtained by Dezeen. In medieval cosmology, the region is “pure light” and “the highest center of wisdom and the source of energy-consciousness.”
The temple will feature eight angular, latticed lumber pavilions forming a star. The material was selected for ease of construction and combustibility.
Image via Burning Man
“The simple geometry of the star creates a sacred foundation,” the team explained, adding that the installation symbolizes a “transformative healing portal” that visitors can experience in their own unique ways.
The lattices also invite sunlight during the day, and by night, the structure’s interior illuminates outwards.
In the middle, a pointed, elevated volume provides an artificial light referred to as the ‘Empyrean Flame’, allowing it to be visible from every direction in the desert.
Flag poles will surround the temple, and will consist of wooden structures wrapped in saffron cloths, creating a pulley system. Burners can use them to write messages and prayers as the canvases sway with the wind.
Empyrean will be burned on the last day of the festival, alongside the “man” and Burning Man’s other installations.
The designers will construct the temple with the help of volunteers as well as donations, and hope to raise more funds for its setup.
[via Dezeen, video and images via Burning Man]
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