Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13973)           
UK only International

Pavilions designed by London students to feature at Burning Man arts festival

By Jason Holland    08 May 2015
The Infinity Tree pavilion reflects the intricacies of natural design

Three architecture students have been selected to build pavilions at this year’s Burning Man festival, having received art grants.

Supported by Ramboll and Format Engineers, the trio’s installations are set to be constructed at the annual arts festival being held at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, US, between 30 August and 7 September. The designs adhere to the event’s 2015 theme, ‘Carnival of Mirrors’.

The students are part of London's University of Westminster WeWantToLearn.net postgraduate design studio known for its study of parametric systems, which are based on algorithms.

Tobias Power’s ‘The Infinity Tree’ is the result of a study into the “twists and turns of all things helical in the natural world” and is formed of a series of spiralling, helical transitions connected together with the assistance of complex algorithms – reflecting the intricacies of natural design.

The pavilion will be made from latticed timber and offers foot and hand holds, so that visitors can ascend a path to the top.

‘Reflection’, designed by Lorna Jackson, is intended to provide an intimate setting in which confessions, secrets and tales can be shared either openly, or with strangers via a semi private screen.

Jackson said the geometry of the pavilion not only mirrors itself in its own form, but also incorporates a reflective surface within its interior spaces. The pavilion is a result of rigorous testing of origami in order to create a single ‘spiralhedron’ shape which is then mirrored through along all axis.

Finally, Jon Leung’s ‘Bismuth Bivouac’ is a structure inspired by the geometric growth patterns of bismuth crystals. Its sides are designed to spiral inwards, converging into the centre of the cubic pavilion, where a sheltered sanctuary awaits.

Colourful LED lighting will illuminate the wooden cubic structure at night, mimicking “the mesmerising iridescent colours of bismuth crystals”.

WeWantToLearn.net has constructed three structures for the Burning Man festival in the past two years. However, the studio says the funding from the Black Rock City Honoraria is not sufficient on its own to build the three new pavilions, and so has launched a Kickstarter campaign in a bid to secure the additional funds required.

Jon Leung’s Bismuth Bivouac will be colourfully lit at night
The structure’s form is based on experiments with origami
Lorna Jackson’s Reflection pavilion offers a space for festival-goers to share secrets and stories
Designed by Tobias Power, the structure features many twists and branches
Sign up for FREE ezines

Company profile

Company profile: Serco Leisure
Serco Leisure Operating Limited is one of the UK’s leading national operators of leisure centres, destination venues and elite sporting facilities.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Cornerstone Connect helps Active Blackpool tackle health inequalities
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing disparate information from multiple systems to be aggregated into one dataset, to support its focus on reducing health inequalities and improving healthy life expectancy.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Stratford, East London.
Company: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Location: Y Felinheli, LL56 4QN
Company: Newmark
Location: Newhaven, Sussex
Company: EiA Real Estate
Location: Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire
Company: Savills
Location: Oxford
Company: University of Oxford
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

22-23 Jun 2026
WX Wakefield , Wakefield, United Kingdom
21-24 Sep 2026
The Langham Huntington Pasadena , Pasadena, United States
06-08 Oct 2026
Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
22-22 Oct 2026
QEII Conference Centre, London
More diary dates