BIG Ideas Launch Fundraiser for Giant Reflective Orb at Burning Man 2018


via BIG Ideas

via BIG Ideas

BIG Ideas, led by Bjarke Ingels and Jakob Lange, have launched an Indiegogo fundraiser for an 80-foot-diameter ORB to be constructed for the 2018 Burning Man festival at Black Rock City, Nevada. Scaled at 1/500,000th of the earth’s surface, the reflective sphere sits “at the axis of art & utility, capturing the entire Black Rock City in an airborne temporal monument that mirrors the Burning Man experience to the Burners as single beings in the midst of an intentional community.”

As well as acting as a wayfinder for navigating The Playa, the ORB sits as a tribute to mother earth and human expression, designed to blend with its surroundings during the night, and leave no trace following its deflation.


via BIG Ideas

via BIG Ideas

Scaled to 1/500,000 of the earth’s surface with a diameter of nearly 100 ft – The ORB is a mirror for earth lovers – reflecting the passing daytime, evolving life & other artworks beneath it – a new planet to sci-fi fans, a wayfinder for travelers or just a huge disco ball to those who love a good party! Help us complete our fundraising & bring it to The Playa!
-Jakob Lange, Co-Founder, BIG Ideas


via BIG Ideas

via BIG Ideas

via BIG Ideas

via BIG Ideas

The ORB will consist of an inflated spherical mirror supported by a 105-foot-long (32-meter-long) inclined steel mast, baseplate, and foundation anchors. Having invested 30 tons of steel, and 1500 sewing hours, BIG Ideas are seeking 50,000 USD over the next two months to fully fund the endeavor.

The Burning Man Festival 2018 takes place in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada from 26th August to 3rd September, featuring a main temple by architect Arthur Mamou-Mani titled “Galaxia.”

Donations to the ORB project can be made via Indiegogo here.

Building Burning Man: The Unique Architectural Challenges of Setting Up a City in the Desert

Every year in August, a temporary metropolis is erected in Black Rock City, Nevada. This is Burning Man, an annual event of art and architecture that attracts some 70,000 participants. The people who come to Burning Man come from all walks of life.