17_( / ) Temple

( / ) TEMPLE is a proposal decentralized in both production and form, formed itself by a collection of sacred geometries lofted together. In a collaboration spanning 7 cities, ( / ) Temple is designed with built-in capacity for variability and adaptability at all stages of the process. A series of decentralized chapels stand together, constructed from [40] 14’x14’ prefabricated wood framed modules.

The Temple(s) of the past as a monumental object, become a series of desegregated archetypes that collectively form a “City of Temples,” or “Temple Town.”

This public project complex transforms sacred and nonsecular geometries into a modular, prefabricated system as a series of elements for easy on-site assembly by the local Burning Man community working between Reno and Black Rock Desert. The multiplicity of modules deployed in a field throughout the desert not only creates a variety of chapel experiences, but also suggests a profusion of processional routes and sanctums, offering myriad viewpoints for journeys ranging in size – from highly individualized to large-scale, experiences that are completely personal to fully collective, advocating for sustainable communal collectiveness. The modular system transforms and at times reproduces Temples of the past into playful combinations; the lofting of sacred geometries at once deeply abstracts while also underscoring the fundamental characteristics of sacred space.
Only physical joints are used. No metals, no plastics, no chemicals – only wood. On the last day of its existence, in accordance with Burning Man’s tradition and rituals the ( / ) Tempel will be burned – its ashes becoming part of the desert. No trace left behind.