Burning Man Reveals "Empyrean" Temple Design for 2020 Festival
Representing a region that is believed to be the birthplace of fire.
The yearly installment of art installations, performances and music will take place in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada this August at Burning Man festival. From giant orb installations to 10,000-square-meter NASA space blankets, there seem to be no limits when it comes to the festival’s art installations. This time, Colorado-based architect Renzo Verbeck and artist Sylvia Adrienne Lisse have revealed design plans for a structure that will serve as the temple at the 2020 Burning Man festival.
The eight-pointed structure, called “Empyrean,” will be the centerpiece for the annual gathering at Black Rock City and be burned on the final day along with the namesake “man.” Verbeck and Lisse’s structure refers to a heavenly realm said to be the birthplace of fire. The pavilions, constructed using framing lumber and latticework walls, will be arranged to form a star shape.
“Approaching from the outer playa environs, the visitor encounters an octagonal palisade of monumental portal gates,” the designers explain. “Passing through a portal, the visitor is experientially compressed as they move into the temple grounds: the multiverse.” At the center of the structure, a pointed volume holds an artificial “Empyrean Flame” that can be seen from all directions on the desert site.
Verbeck and Lissie’s design follows Geordie Van Der Bosch’s 2019 temple structure that was influenced by Japanese torii gates. This year’s festival will take place from August 30 to September 7. Watch the animated clip above to get a better idea of how the “Empyrean” will look like.
In other news, the Bronx Museum of Art will honor comedic personalities Desus & Mero for their impact on education, social justice and the arts in the Bronx.
