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What matters is what's inside. As the Little Prince said. With this philosophy of looking inward, three architects educated at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) will be the first Spaniards to build the Temple of the Deep, the unique building at the Burning Man festival, which will be held in the Black Rock desert in Nevada (United States) from 24 August to 1 September.

The man, the central statue, and the temple are up for competition because they are the most outstanding constructions at this event, which is expected to attract 80,000 people. They are temporary structures that will be burned, like the fallas, on the closing day.

In the history of this festival, ‘normally all the temples faced the sky. In this case, they don't. The aim is to look inside each person,’ explains Javier Bono Cremades, lecturer and researcher at the UPV.

A space to share grief

"The temple is a place of contemplation and sharing grief with strong symbolism. It is separate from the area dedicated to music, dancing and partying. It is where people go to process the loss of their loved ones." They bring photos and objects belonging to their deceased loved ones and pets, and leave them there. The Valencian architects will bring, among other things, photographs of people who died in the dana on 29 October last year.

Miguel Arraiz and Javier Bono Cremades met when Javier was working at the Arqueha architecture studio. Together, they designed the World Design Capital Pavilion in València's Town Hall Square in 2022. When the idea of entering the temple of the Deep competition arose, Javier Molinero, an architect and member of Badallar Estudi, also joined the team. Arqueha is part of the temple project.

Miguel Arraiz has experience in experimental fallas, and ten years ago, he built one at Burning Man. This opened the door for him to participate in the competition to build the festival's temple, for which twelve international projects were submitted.

Between València and California

The temple's design team is divided between València and the United States: Miguel Arraiz, in California since February, is the lead artist for the project, coordinating fundraising and the team of volunteers who will be responsible for manufacturing the pieces that will later be assembled in the desert. Meanwhile, in València, Javier Bono and Javier Molinero have developed the project alongside Elisa Moliner and Josep Martí. Miguel Arraiz, Javier Bono and Javier Molinero will meet in California on 24 July. From there, on 6 August, they will travel to the desert to coordinate the temple assembly.

‘The festival has a radical non-profit philosophy. In other words, we and everyone involved are doing it for the love of art, for the love of the festival,' explains Javier Bono. The budget is $800,000, and the festival will contribute around $150,000.

Measuring 14 metres high and 30 metres in diameter, Temple of the Deep will be built from raw wood, without glue or polluting products, because ‘the festival wants to minimise carbon emissions and collect any waste left behind when the structure is burned,’ explains Javier Molinero, based on the concept of leave no trace.

Inspired by Japanese Kintsugi

The Valencian architects' idea for the construction of the temple is inspired by the Japanese technique of Kintsugi, which literally means “repair with gold”. It consists of reconstructing broken ceramic objects with gold so that, instead of hiding the damage, it highlights it.

Based on Kintsugi, the idea is that the piece has more value because it has been reconstructed in the most appropriate way possible. "That's what the temple represents. These cracks are not built, they are not solid, they are not joining the pieces together, but rather, they allow you to see through them. Through the cracks, you can see the interior. It gives a sense of volume and that there is something beyond. It tries to connect with the people who go to the temple. And the interior is illuminated at night, and the light will shine through the cracks," explains Javier Bono.

The vortex on a pole built by the Fallas artist Manolo García

The parallel with the fallas will be even clearer because the vortex will be built by the fallas artist Manolo García, who will move to the Nevada desert with his team to build this piece using the vareta technique.

Miguel Arráiz, Javier Bono and Javier Molinero studied at the Universitat Politècnica de València but are from different years. Javier Bono is a part-time lecturer in the Graphic Expression in Architecture Department, teaches at the School of Architecture, and is also a researcher at the Research Institute for Heritage Restoration. From the UPV, he is collaborating with the Centre for Physical Technologies to calculate the emissions associated with the construction and burning of the temple.

Burning Man

Burning Man is held in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA, where tens of thousands of people gather to create a temporary city based on principles such as radical self-expression, self-sufficiency, and community.

It began in 1986 on a beach in San Francisco and has evolved into a unique social and artistic experiment. For a week, participants, known as burners, build monumental art installations and organise workshops, performances, and celebrations, with no commerce or advertising, as everything is based on bartering or gift-giving. The festival ends in flames, like the Fallas, burning The Man, Temple of the Deep and other monuments on display.

Text: Carmen Revillo Rubio

UPV Communication Area