CMU School of Drama


Friday, March 13, 2026

James Gwertzman bases Burning Man temple on rare desert flower

www.dezeen.com: American artist James Gwertzman has revealed a sprawling wooden structure based on an ephemeral desert bloom for the 2026 Burning Man temple. Called Temple of the Moon, the structure will be based on the shape of the Queen of the Night – a cactus flower that only blooms once during the year.

1 comment:

Leumas said...

The construction of this temple is an interesting niche for me, as the entire point of the structure is to be burned at the end of the festival. For one, the structure obviously needs to be flammable, but they are looking for a design that is a lot more intricate than just a bonfire of logs. The fire is also not just to remove the structure, but needs to be a spectacle as it burns. I wonder what thoughts go into designing this structure such that the flame travels around the structure in an aesthetically pleasing way, and that the structure burns completely in the way that is desired. I am also curious of how they actually set it on fire. My assumption is that with such a strong symmetrical structure like this they would want for it to burn symmetrically, but I would assume that it is very hard to get this large of a structure to burn in exactly the way you expect, with wood being a natural material that various from board to board.