What is The ORB?
The ORB is a giant sphere, scaled to 1/500,000th of the earth’s surface, with a diameter of nearly 100 feet. The ORB finds itself 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. Visible from most of The Playa, it will help Burners navigate the desert and find way.
![]()
At night, the ORB will blend entirely into its surroundings and become part of the desert. The ORB is a tribute to mother earth & human expression - designed to easily inflate and deflate, leaving no trace on the Playa.
How does it work?
The ORB IS AN 83’-8” (25.5M) diameter inflated mirror sphere, supported by a 105’ (32M)
long inclined steel mast. It looks simple, but actually consists of 5 main parts:
• Sphere
• Mast
• Baseplate
• Foundation anchors
• Installations (Fans ETC.)
![]()
Who?
A group of artists and architects led by Danish architects Bjarke Ingels and Jakob Lange.
![]()
Why are we raising funds?
The ORB’s honest and clear expression hides a lot of complexity and effort. We have funded the majority of 30 ton of steel and 1000 hours of welding of the structure as well as 1500 sewing hours for the 2000 m2 / 21,500 sq ft sphere ourselves. To complete the funding, we are looking to raise 50 000 USD from friends, family and anyone who would like to bring this art piece to Burning Man 2018 - your donation will bring a temporal planet to the Playa!
In return for your support, we have a range of juicy perks for you to choose from as a thank you for your kind donation.
![]()
prototype for The Orb
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you can't make a donation, there are other ways to get involved in helping to bring this artwork to glorious, shining life!
Share this campaign with your friends, pages, groups and family!
Join our facebook event page
Download press material:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Zt4WpR6jZNKsmpSb9