FR-EE reveals concept for 2020 Burning Man temple
18/01/2020.
[Black Rock City - NV] USA
metalocus, ÁNGEL TORNE
metalocus, ÁNGEL TORNE
Holon Temple is the pavilion designed for this year's edition of Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE.
Mexico City and New York-based architecture firm has unveiled their proposal for this year's Burning Man Temple. Each year, the event invites a team of architects, artists, and designers to create a temple proposal where Burners (Burning Man participants) can gather.
Mexico City and New York-based architecture firm has unveiled their proposal for this year's Burning Man Temple. Each year, the event invites a team of architects, artists, and designers to create a temple proposal where Burners (Burning Man participants) can gather.
Rendering. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Temple structure concept. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Rendering. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Temple structure concept. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Rendering. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Rendering. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Rendering. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Leave no trace concept. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Temple structure concept. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Temple structure concept. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Construction process. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Construction process. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Construction process. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Construction process. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Construction process. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Construction process. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Construction process. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Construction process. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Elevation. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Plan 1. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Plan 2. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Entrance plan. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Niches plan. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Altar plan. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Oculus plan. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Section. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Model. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Model. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Model. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Model. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Model. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
Model. Holon Temple pavilion, 2020 Burning Man by FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE
The temple is design with a wooden truss system, conceived by FR-EE a system of wooden trusses that bow outwards and are braced by 34 circular horizontal elements—one for each year of Burning Man’s existence. A compression ring, the 35th horizontal element, caps off the truss system, framing a skylight, representing 2020´s edition
Instead of exterior cladding, FR-EE chose to allow the complex system of wooden trusses and rings to define the interior experience. The element creates a porosity that allows gaps between the structural members let in daylight, wind, and sand, keeping burners in a space that feels at once enclosed and connected to the surrounding landscape.
Instead of exterior cladding, FR-EE chose to allow the complex system of wooden trusses and rings to define the interior experience. The element creates a porosity that allows gaps between the structural members let in daylight, wind, and sand, keeping burners in a space that feels at once enclosed and connected to the surrounding landscape.
Project description by Fernando Romero EnterprisE (FR-EE)
FR-EE designed the Holon Temple concept for Burning Man, the annual event that brings tens of thousands of people—known as Burners—to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for a week-long experiment in communal living. Each year the event—underpinned by the principles of civic participation, spiritual reflection, and self-expression—invites a team of architects and artists to design a temple proposal where Burners can gather, meditate, and reflect.
FR-EE’s proposal for the temple takes its inspiration from the Ancient Greek word holon, denoting an object that is both complete unto itself and an integral part of a larger system. Guided by this concept, the temple takes the form of an oblong wooden ellipsoid housing a smaller version of itself that serves as an altar. The altar itself contains a yet-smaller replica of, creating a nested system of objects that invites contemplation and embodies the idea of a holon.
To achieve the temple’s distinctive form, FR-EE conceived of a system of wooden trusses that bow outwards and are braced by 34 circular horizontal members—one for each year of Burning Man’s existence. The trusses culminate in the compression ring member number 35, representing 2020´s edition, which opens to the sky to let in light. Recalling the Pantheon’s oculus, the crowning compression ring incorporates millennia-old traditions of religious and spiritual architecture into the design of this contemporary temple.
Rather than cladding the structure, the design allows the complex system of wooden trusses and rings to define the interior experience. Gaps between the structural members let in daylight, wind, and sand, resulting in a space that feels at once enclosed and intertwined with the surrounding landscape. As the structure nears the ground, the horizontal rings broaden to form benches that wrap the perimeters of the interior and invite Burners to congregate, reflect, and meditate.
Taking the shape of a circle, the temple's plan focuses attention on the central altar and fosters a sense of gathering and community. The plan's unique geometry also references the traditional connotations of the circle, which—being a shape without a beginning or an end—is considered a symbol of unity and the infinite.
In keeping with Burning Man’s tradition of leaving no trace, the temple was designed to be burned to the ground at the end of the week-long gathering. As part of this process, the design team planned to plant the number of trees required to counterbalance the amount of pollution the burning would generate.
More information
Architects
Architects/joint design team.- Fernando Romero EnterprisE (FR-EE), Planet Collective (PC).
Design (FR-EE).- Fernando Romero. Project architect (FR-EE).- Romain Thijsen. Project coordination (FR-EE).- Liliana Viveros, Hugo Vela, Daniela Gallo, Nicholas Dolan, Jean-François Goyette.
Design (FR-EE).- Fernando Romero. Project architect (FR-EE).- Romain Thijsen. Project coordination (FR-EE).- Liliana Viveros, Hugo Vela, Daniela Gallo, Nicholas Dolan, Jean-François Goyette.
Team
Project team (FR-EE).- Germán Sandoval Garduño, Pablo Morales Contreras, Alejandro Hernández Morales, Federico Serna Giraldo, Libia Castilla, Adriana Merchant, Pierre Tairouz.
Project support (FR-EE).- Aldo Domínguez Chávez, José Manuel Soto Álvarez, Aníbal Cárdenas Escobar, Edson Rodríguez Francisco, Armando Montiel Camarena, Jessica Valdés Huacuja, Pamela Hernández Hernández, Eduardo Hernández Morales.
Planet Collective.- James Barlow, John Spetrino, Fernando Romero, Emma Schwartz, Jason Sidelko, Gerardo Broissin, Juan Carlos Quintero, Oscar Soto.
Media (FR-EE).- Oscar Caballero, Ariadna Chavarria
Media (PC).- Juan Carlos Quintero
Project support (FR-EE).- Aldo Domínguez Chávez, José Manuel Soto Álvarez, Aníbal Cárdenas Escobar, Edson Rodríguez Francisco, Armando Montiel Camarena, Jessica Valdés Huacuja, Pamela Hernández Hernández, Eduardo Hernández Morales.
Planet Collective.- James Barlow, John Spetrino, Fernando Romero, Emma Schwartz, Jason Sidelko, Gerardo Broissin, Juan Carlos Quintero, Oscar Soto.
Media (FR-EE).- Oscar Caballero, Ariadna Chavarria
Media (PC).- Juan Carlos Quintero
Consultants
Structural engineer.- BROISSINarchitects. Structural optimization (PC).- Jason Sidelko. On-Playa Construction Lead (PC).- John Spetrino. Fire performance design.- FKB. Burn Liaison (PC).- James Barlow.
Collaborators
Renderings.- Juan Carlos Ramos. Video.- Dave Goodall
Fernando Romero EnterprisE. FR-EE
Fernando Romero EnterprisE. FR-EE a global architecture and industrial design firm founded by Fernando Romero with offices in New York, Mexico City, Madrid and Shenzhen. FR-EE's commitment is focused on translating historical, social, economic, and environmental contexts into contemporary urban destinations, earning critical attention, and attracting millions of visitors while generating a positive impact on cities and communities. In the last 20 years, FR-EE has executed and proposed projects in a large number of countries with different programs and contexts, from museums and office buildings in dense urban centers to the monumental New International Airport in Mexico City.
Fernando Romero, Honorable FAIA * is recognized as one of the leading architects of his generation. He was named a Global Leader of Tomorrow at the 2002 World Economic Forum, one of the 50 Most Influential Designers by Fast Company in 2012, and became an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2013. Among his awards are the Bauhaus Award and the Red Dot Award 'Best of the Best'.
Fernando Romero, Honorable FAIA * is recognized as one of the leading architects of his generation. He was named a Global Leader of Tomorrow at the 2002 World Economic Forum, one of the 50 Most Influential Designers by Fast Company in 2012, and became an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2013. Among his awards are the Bauhaus Award and the Red Dot Award 'Best of the Best'.
