Black Rock City 2018
BRC18
This blog is dedicated to the memory of Larry Harvey
who envisioned a cultural phenomenon powerful enough
to change the life of thousands of people all around the world.
Larry left a precious legacy that every participant of
the Burning Man event treasures and cultivates
to hopefully make the world a better place.
LH 48-18 installation by Denny Smith
"If you bring a little soul to the encounter,
maybe you'll see something you didn't look for ......"
Larry Harvey 1948-2018
Larry, mon ami, bon voyage
Larry Harvey Memorial Spire by David Best
Black Rock Desert with Old Razorback mountain and trash fence
Welcome Home 2018
From Center Camp to the Temple
Black Rock City 18 hosted a superb Burning Man event.
The weather was what one should expect coming
to a high altitude desert: stormy, gentle, hot, cold, dusty,
airy, stable, unstable, on a daily basis.
Big and bigger were the buzz words for camps, mutant vehicles,
and art installations which brought
a renewed interest to smaller, intimate creations as the
This year I, Robot theme was a hit with a lot of related art installations,
Mutant Vehicles, theme camps and participants costumes.
Everyone seemed in a very good mood having
easy connections, goofy interactions,
deep conversations and non-stop serendipity.
All weeklong my mantra was: Here and Now
By far, one of the best years of the event.
More images from this relentless caldron of creativity with these:
Superb video by Jamen Percy
Magnificent Franchise Freedom Drone Ballet
Great first time experience by Gil Gillis
Erik Davis talking about the evolution of Burning Man
Fantastic 2005 Dicky Box performance
All links in this blog are SFW
The 2018 entry has around 250 images
spread over two very long pages,
this page one with The Golden Rebar Awards and hundreds of camps,
followed by page 2 with art installations and participants
Member of the Burning Man Documentation Team
and burner for 22 years
I focus on the habitat and the architectural solutions
developed in accordance with the Burning Man Principles
This blog was created to inspire and grow
a community of like-minded participants building a functioning city
in an inhospitable environment while having fun, mostly.
Over the last 10 years, thousands of images of camps, structures,
along with hundreds of reliable links have been featured.
The Golden Rebar Award was created to highlight the innovative
and most surprising shelters that I considered as important
as the art installations on the playa.
Due to the ever-changing nature of the city and its density,
it is impossible to explore every nook of each block,
I am sorry if I missed your camp and dwelling,
may be next year I will stop by.
drop me a line or two:
brc(at)philippeglade.com
For a slideshow experience with higher resolution
double-click on the images
SoundScape
it is impossible to explore every nook of each block,
I am sorry if I missed your camp and dwelling,
may be next year I will stop by.
drop me a line or two:
brc(at)philippeglade.com
Since last year,
the book that supports this blog
won 3 international awards for design and content
Check out this list
your camp might be featured in it
double-click on the images
SoundScape
BRC 2018
Golden Rebar for Rallying
Gratefulness to the Burner community
who answered the call of Tom Price
to help the victims of the disastrous
California Camp Fire
Golden Rebar for Architectural Landmark
Pod Mahal by Freeman Murray at Camp Disorient
In order to minimise a camp footprint, modify the skyline
and offer great views, the option of going vertical has already been
tested by the scaffolding Vertical Camp at Troy in 2011 and
the space cubes of the 2014 Lost Hotel.
The Pod Mahal is a new step in a direction that
cleverly explored could alleviate the ache of BRC population growth.
These playa-condos could be asymmetrically and sparsely
spread out all over the city grid with overview by Placement
to avoid the block and canyon effect of downtown buildings.
Freeman Murray with a team of 5 built in five stormy days
a 4-story high building with steel shelving mostly
used for pallet racks.
The upright frames and load beams are well known elements
used in countless warehouses with a good track record
of structural integrity and ease to assemble.
The white panels visible on the side are sliding windows.
Pod Mahal at Disorient Camp from the side
This honeycomb structure is made of 24 hexapods split in
two 12-unit wings with the stairwells in between.
Described as a Chand Baori the hollow central space works
as a communal spot for spontaneous gatherings and
while alleviating the wind load on the entire structure makes it slender.
Pod Mahal communal life at camp Disorient
The stairwells act as spontaneous gathering spots for hexapod neighbours,
it brings an old-European feeling of neighbourly interactions.
Pod Mahal inside an hexapod
Even with a queen size mattress and a view to burn for,
comfort is still on the spartan side.
Let's hope for next year that designer Freeman Murray
refines the finish of what could be a
viable solution to the future of Black Rock City.
Colors or projection mapping could create distinctive neighborhoods
with original landmarks visible from afar.
Golden Rebar for Ingenuity
Already awarded last year for their relationship with the scenery
these two Octayurts still as the same location
in the Mindfield refine the delicate folding door system.
The tape on all sides of the door works as a seal
keeping the octayurt fairly dust-free.
This tiny refinement answers
the recurrent problem of the openings
A velcro tape on the two folded panels keeps
the door in high position when needed
Golden Rebar for Architectural Wonder
Galaxia Temple by Arthur Mamou-Mani and crew
The timber structure emerging from the playa
and swirling up 60ft (18m) in the sky,
majestically drew all the participants to its refined
organic shape albeit, with a 200ft (60m) diameter,
complex geometry
and with his make-it-yourself lab FabPub allows
designers to experiment with 3D Printing and Laser Cutting
designers to experiment with 3D Printing and Laser Cutting
Some of his students participated with a crew of 125 volunteers
to raise the temple in 22 days
confirming what Mamou-Mani says about the city:
“ it’s an architectural boot camp “
Curved space trusses, the petals, providing all-around
access corridors as well as alcoves for remembrance
converged to a towering oculus where 3D-printed
bio-plastic teardrops hanged to symbolise
the collective grief and emotion of the burners.
The structural integrity of the temple was entrusted
to the engineering team Format
In his spare time, Arthur Mamou-Mani
leads the must-read blog WeWantToLearn
where you can learn how to generate
a voronoi diagram with phyllotaxis patterns!
“ The Temple celebrates hope in the unknown, stars, planets,
black holes, the movement uniting us
in swirling galaxies of dreams ”
The temple was designed to burn fast
Golden Rebar for Cool Geometry
Osmos inflatable structure by John Hilmes
at Camp Relaxomatic RX
The goal behind Osmos was to create a relaxing,
communal space that felt secluded from the mayhem of BRC.
With a height of 21ft for a diameter of 28ft its hyperboloid shape
achieved a decent structural integrity, while simultaneously attempting
to recreate the behavior of air in cooling towers to keep occupants cool.
This "open air system" requires 6 fans to keep it standing
while each one of the 42 "airbeams"
serves as door by squeezing in between.
Next year, Hilmes will modify the profile
for a wider top and a narrower bottom
to prevent liftoff on windy days.
Fake fur make a nice playground away from the playa.
Fashion wise it was Tutu Tuesday
Golden Rebar for Playa Bliss
The In-genius Sanctuary by Snowflake and Annie
Hidden in the back streets of the city this whimsical
shelter with a steel frame structure could be mistaken
for a Mutant Vehicle at its support camp.
This Aladdin lamp was a chill pod,
a sanctuary welcoming participants in need of cool,
a place to regroup and catch up some sleep
The In-genius sanctuary inside by Snowflake and Annie
In a set worthy of the Arabian Nights,
just waiting for Aladdin to wake up
Golden Rebar for Elegance
YOUniversal Persian Teahouse by Gregg Fleishman
Gregg Fleishman talented artist/designer/thinker
brought again in BRC one of his new creations.
Burners are accustomed to his signature geometric shapes
that flat pack and are scalable thank to his clever connector node.
Among other creations:
The 2011 Otic Oasis and the 2013 Temple of Whollyness
Usually made with straight beams, his interlocking structures
do not require any nails, glue or fasteners.
In 2018, with an improved node design
he decided to play with curvy beams to create
this elegant new addition to the Black Rock City skyline.
It took about 2 days to assemble with 4-6 crew.
Persian Teahouse with Gregg Fleishman's node
For participants unfamiliar (is it possible?) with Gregg Fleishman's work,
this nod is the base of his building system.
This node is 25% smaller but with the same material
thickness and number of parts (6).
The module is reduced so the distance between
nodes is also reduced by about 20%.
The result is lighter parts, ease of set up,
a more intimate scale and elegance.
YOUniversal Persian Teahouse camp by Gregg Fleishman
Gregg calls this system variation "Ortho Mode"
because it integrates the 90 degree angles of the Cube
with the 45 degree angles of the octahedron.
Inside YOUniversal Persian Teahouse
The large space is a 2V domed or
arched octahedral pyramid with cubic entries
Golden Rebar for Best Vibe Bar
The Prize Cock bar is a mobile home connected to a shipping container.
Made as an English pub it was a fun riot day and night
with hilarious bartenders, darts game, stupid challenges
and great tunes, at last.
The Prize Cock bar
At first, I thought being in a time machine
(it would no be out of place at BRC)
looking at Keith Moon bartending.
The Prize Cock with darts board, fire place, Her Majesty portrait,
tongue-in-cheeck signs and no last call, here with Marcus and wife.
Golden Rebar for Celebrate the small
"Half-Baked" mutant vehicle at camp
When most of the mutant vehicles today
look like a million (or two) dollars ego trip,
it is refreshing to see that imagination and skill
always bring a smile of joy.
Read before torching this blog
Photographer crisscrossing the city around the clock to document in earnest its colourful diversity,
I meet participants coming from all walks of life enduring the same harsh environment in multiple fashions that, being part of the Burning Man Documentation Team, I want to document.
My goal is to give a vision of the city as realistic as possible without restriction or prejudice.
The spartan living conditions of my camp "Déjà View" are the opposite of those offered in the following camp, one of many that by no means I want to enable or make the face of BRC.
Nevertheless, when a camp brings a clearly defined good natured state of mind with the goal to build a sustainable and reusable structure as well as aesthetic and effective, I must acknowledge it.
Already on the grid of BRC in 2017 Humano Tribe Camp came back this year with 2 new structures added to its floor plan, Cocoons and Lodges.
During the long trip from Mexico to Black Rock, some parts and gears "vanished" and could not be exactly replaced, incident that cascaded into problems finally resolved by hard work from the camp leaders eager to get a Green spot on the 2018 MOOP map.
I meet participants coming from all walks of life enduring the same harsh environment in multiple fashions that, being part of the Burning Man Documentation Team, I want to document.
My goal is to give a vision of the city as realistic as possible without restriction or prejudice.
The spartan living conditions of my camp "Déjà View" are the opposite of those offered in the following camp, one of many that by no means I want to enable or make the face of BRC.
Nevertheless, when a camp brings a clearly defined good natured state of mind with the goal to build a sustainable and reusable structure as well as aesthetic and effective, I must acknowledge it.
Already on the grid of BRC in 2017 Humano Tribe Camp came back this year with 2 new structures added to its floor plan, Cocoons and Lodges.
During the long trip from Mexico to Black Rock, some parts and gears "vanished" and could not be exactly replaced, incident that cascaded into problems finally resolved by hard work from the camp leaders eager to get a Green spot on the 2018 MOOP map.
Coming from Mexico, using 6-years-old bamboo grown in Chiapas with a clever system of plates and connectors designed in CAD, laser cut and also manufactured in Mexico, these structure were tested for 100 mph winds.
The project was led and manufactured by Javier Diaque (Causa.mx)
designed in collaboration with Luisa Correa (Bambuterra),
Veronica Correa (Kaltia) and Xavier Hierro (Precoor)
Humano Tribe Camp
Communal spaces The Wellness (front) and the Nest (back)
Both structures are a combination of natural sustainable
and renewable materials (Bambu beams)
with high-tech steel joinery manufactured by Javier Diaque.
They are designed as passive cooling systems which keeps
them fresh and naturally ventilated as well as
protected from the wind, sun and sand.
It takes about 4 hours to set up each one
between 5 people using very basic tools
The Lodges
They are prefabricated with reused timber and steel joinery,
and the constructive system is designed
to keep the assembly as quick and simple as possible.
4 of them are up in 2 days between 5 people
The Cocoons
Made with Bambu beams, it takes about 40 minutes to put up.
They have an insulation foil inside, which keeps them
cool during the day and warm at night.
The canvas is wind and water proof.
The top can be opened for ventilation or star gazing.
Inside a cocoon
The shower room
CampScape
Camps should be visually stimulating, interactive and neighbourly.
A portal, fence, artful design and a visible name add
to the spatial definition of camps,
and anchor the neighbourhood.
A hint at the year's theme is even better
Camp Robot Repair and Tea shop
Under the porch two 1994 burners
Robot Repair and Saloon Camp at Tetrix Village
The Grilled Cheese Incident Camp
Electric Safari Park Camp
The camp lead gave me his shirt when he learned
that I had more burns than him,
only in BRC!
Camp Mission with theater marquee and the San Francisco Sutro tower
Two well known landmarks for San Franciscans
Campsterdam with Bomb art car
Yin and Yang
Yellow Bike Camp
Desperados camp steel frame square structure
Desperados camp Fiesta menu for the week
Distrikt facade
Kudos to Distrikt which changes its appearance every year
but keeps the same energy
Foam against the Machine camp
Every year this super eco-friendly camp has a new frontage
while keeping the same structures and sign.
It brings 25 000 gallons of water for the uttermost
pleasure of lucky and patient burners
Foam against the Machine with its sculptural portal
made of papier maché created by Emma Hardy
Chill dome to visit after the experience at camp Foam against the Machine
Inside the experience space of Foam against the Machine camp
Challenging place for the shy ones,
of course no pictures while bliss happens.
Art Car Camp
Contraptionist camp
The New Barbarians camp
Cosmic Heart Temple at Camp Mystic
Panorama camp with its Deep Playa Diver MV
Camp Lovin'Oven
Mystopia camp
Camp Question mark
One sign, you know where you are
Ashram Galactica 14 camp
Camp Awake from a Different Life
Never Never Camp saloon style
Camp ACBS Art Car Bus Stop with the bedazzle station
Camp Burning Watch and Camp 3-D Blow Jobs on Rod's Ring Road
Be always proud of your camp name, a sucker might take a picture
Camp 11:11
made of 2-inch schedule 40 aluminum pipes and plywood panels
An exemple of well organised and led camp by Izzle and Sizzle
where around 100 members live in a family-like atmosphere
made of 2-inch schedule 40 aluminum pipes and plywood panels
An exemple of well organised and led camp by Izzle and Sizzle
where around 100 members live in a family-like atmosphere
The Bar that is Never Open camp
with Bookie and Stache
with Bookie and Stache
Skeleton Puppets camp
Camp Playground with fake palm trees at sunset
Landmark during the day as well as at night
Lord Piggloo's Nuclear Winter Wonderland Camp
a.k.a Camp Gingerbread
Sensor Gate by Sofy Yuditskaya
Located on the playa, one of the 5 satellites
of the Sensor Gates installation surrounding
The Temple of Incompletion (see page 2: Art)
This structure was an open shelter with
water, resting pods and shade,
sensible gifts for the playa traveller.
Made with a one-size timber 16' long with simas connectors,
designed and fabricated by camp Disorient,
the module is set up fast with a crew of 2
Camp Caravan of Light side of the main shade
Camp Caravan of Light inside the main shade
If a camp brings an original, one-of-a-kind design
it stands out from the crowd and is an incentive for others to follow
Camp Hammock with 3-layer parachute shade
Scott Parenteau Camp
My faithful blog and book reader know already Scott Parenteau metal pods,
and past recipient of a Golden Rebar.
His new dome, on the right, is built with
the insulation foam board used for Hexayurts.
Each square panel is protected by hard plastic edging
making the assembly fast with zip ties or
making the assembly fast with zip ties or
velcro ties to make it a true wast-free shelter.
It takes one person to build it.
The Burn Stream Court with its moving lighthouse
and second light on scissor lift
and second light on scissor lift
The Russian Submarine of
Society for Temporal Preservation camp
Society for Temporal Preservation camp
The Rhombiyurt
In the ever expanding hexayurt family
there is a new yurt geometry
designed by Matt Brand
The Rhombiyurt takes less material (EXCELLENT link great tutorial) than a hexayurt
but provides ample headroom and floor space for up to 3 beds.
It ships in one piece as a neatly folded strip of hinged panels,
then unfurls into a dome that locks rigid
and watertight via velcro edge flaps.
Shelter covered with space blanket insulation with pod
Inflatable allows to be creative, joyful and unique
The Inflatable Zoo Camp
Inflatable Octopus Dj booth at camp Deep Sea Divers
The inflatable waiting room of
The Phage Camp's Intergalactic Travel Bureau
We need colours to feel good and bring life to drab neighbourhood
Dave with his wife and their trailer
Hexayurts with painted RV
Big Puffy Yellow camp with yoga asanas
Big Puffy Yellow camp party
Camp Orange Dome with giant hammock
Pink Flamingo Camp
Comfort and Joy flags
Just married
Bubbles Boobs Camp
The main trend in shelters is the square-ish
steel frame structures generally made of EMT
conduits easy to assemble in different shapes
thanks to a large offering of fittings.
Camp D5 with steel frame square structure
Steel frame square structure
White Rabbit Army camp steel frame structure
Tents under steel frame shade structure
Camp I, Orbot
Eskimo Fatphish tents at Playaskool camp
A less expensive choice than Shiftpod
Ovary Camp
Incendia 5V dome with 3V satellite domes at Playaskool
Camp Sextant
A fixture of BRC
Camp Celtic Chaos lifted dome
Distrikt at rush hour with shade cloth
Tensegrity camp with porta-potties
Tensegrity with shade cloth
The Dog House
Morning coffee gift at Shot Fired by Joe Miller
The inspiration was the "shelter-half" commonly
used by the US Army in the past.
Joe is a fan of artist Kenneth Snelson the master of tensegrity
where of compression and tension are clearly defined and balanced
Easy to set up shelter with aluminet and big pvc pipes
Camp Bang Bang aerial tension tent
Tension tent Nomad
Camp Dirty Beetles with Nomad tent
Circus tent and wheels of the Compagnie Off
inside the circus tent of Compagnie Off
Airport Lounge
Funky Town Camp at sunset
Two stories wood structure at Funky Town Camp
Streetscape at dusk
RV City could be the nickname of Black Rock City,
they are ubiquitous.
Parked together they create lifeless canyons
and are not visually stimulating.
No need to add joyless and lifeless images
Avion trailer by Fleetwood
Airstream trailer
My ride, in front of Not my ride
Cool bus Genesis
Tiny house on wheels
Home delivery, Amazon?
Containers at PlayAlchimist Camp
Camp Epic container shelters
Inside Epic camp with containers
Honey and Pears camp
Tents with swamp coolers
Haus Catz Camp with ghillie monkey hut
Coleman American Heritage tent model 8490-711 10 x 8
It lasted a week without a hitch except for the dust
coming through the difficult to seal windows
Two modern yurts with white cover
Sun Trackers Camp at AEZ Village with triple-layer tarp
and electricity provided by solar panels on top of the bus
The Outback camp with a 3.5 kW solar array and two wall batteries
DRASH tents at the airport
A perennial burner with his All-Terrain vehicle at Camp Dome Sweet Dome
Hell's bar near Portoparty Camp
Tribal Spirit Camp dome
Tribal Spirit Camp dome with shade fabric
Camp LED Dinausor
At first I though it was a collapsed dome, no. Kudos!
Camp Mystic with Lotus Belle Mahal tent and Bucky Dome
Camp Electric Oasis
Camp Electric Oasis at night
PlayAlchemist pyramid
PlayAlchemist pyramid space frame
Terrasailing at BRC
Distrikt bike parking with trash fence in front of vintage RVs
FFS camp
The best seat in the house?
Camp HEXperience
Martini Village in the storm
Martini Village after the storm 30 secondes later
Intersection plaza at 9 with Star Star camp, a tension canopy with 4-chord trusses
Silicon Village dome 6@E
Appropriated Dragon Camp at The French Quarter
Shower system at camp Color of Light
with Gregg Fleishman/Scott Mahoney nodes and beams
The straps positioning is extremely clever, it keeps the drape taught
while allowing an easy entrance
Art Car camp inside the kitchen
Foam against the Machine kitchen
Camp 11:11 the kitchen
Water refill at the Inconvenience Store camp
A godsend!
Recycling station at Sextant Camp
Almost museum quality
Evapotrons system at Camp Heebeegeebee
Bonus Images
The Plaza
Robot Heart with Jan Blomqvist DJ set
What If all of This Is Real? Installation by Olivia Steele
Playaground camp dancefloor in the morning
Esplanade sign at 10:00 in storm
MV of the ASS (Art Support Service)
BRC Airport NV88
Old Razorback Mountain with railroad and Trego hot springs
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Enjoy our/your/my city
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1 comment:
Thanks a lot for sharing.
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