Zome Mani Padme Zome

Miracula Mirabilis

The Twelfth Wonder of Zonotopia

Burning Man 2011

This year I had the amazing good fortune of having the best build team at Burning Man. We were ten minds, ten hearts and twenty hands strong. Each and every member, five women and five men, focused all of their unwavering strength and efforts for three days under grueling conditions to create this manifest vision of zonotopal architecture.

On a hot Friday morning at 10am, August 26th we were placed and began building in beautiful proximity to this years spectacular Temple.

We began by building the every charming Bodhisattva Zome, this for the eleventh time.

Before sunset on the first day both the Bodhisattva Zome and the 2010 Zonotopia Zome were fully erected and the Mirabilis was begun.

One Hundred Twenty Five panels and connectors, organized and ready to go.

For three days, we worked all day and into the evening.

And here we see a typical example of the women industriously hard at work while the men stand around not doing much of anything.

Here Zonotopians, Jeff and Val limber up during the build.

Almost all of Zonotopia is assembled using only scaffolding, ladders, mallets and muscle.

For the topmost rhombs, Art Support provided an appropriately blue boom lift assistance.

And on Monday, Complete! A remarkable wonder, the Miracula Mirabilis brought three new design elements to Zonotopia: a new upward spiralling, helical shell....

...,a indigo color design which faded down to white, and most importantly of all....

...Climbability! As many can attest, it was solid and fun 5.0 wonderland!

There are few things better in life than climbing your own art piece at Burning Man!

Each Zome provided a different visage and experience to all playa travellers.

On Wednesday night, we hosted our third Annual Zome Party with Mission Country Club. There was great music and ...

....fire spinning in the Zomes.

At long last, Patricia got her life long wish to chill in her hammock in a Zome.

The fade to blue portals garnered no shortage of compliments throughout the event. And as predicted, there was always one row of panels which perfectly matched the sky.

The Mirabilis came out at 25', just a bit taller than the 2010 Zonotopia Zome.

Intergalactic Zonotopians, Star Tiger and Sunshine stop by to admire the construction of their wedding chapel.

The Mirabilis at night, illuminated from within.

This is Zonotopia, the Once and Future Utopia of Zomes.

A giant Zome shaped Thank you goes to...

...The Zonotopia Crew

Sergio, Megan, Jeff, Val, Audrey, Ian, Stephanie, Earl, Patricia and Rob.

special thanks to

Mission Country Club

Dark Sevier

Mad Dog

Our Indiegogo Contributors

The Artery

Art Support

and Burning Man.

zome mani padme zome

-Rob Bell

Welcome to Zonotopia

Zomes are zonohedral domes. Zomes are different, more beautiful and more functional than geodesic domes. In addition to being derived from higher dimensional geometry my Zomes embody an organic and spiritual nature which all people identify with.

Enjoy!

zome mani padme zome

Rob Bell

The forgoing text was the introductory page in a journal book placed inside of the Zonotopia Zome. During the entire week of Burningman 2010 the journal book provided a place for people to express themselves and write their thoughts about the zome and their playa experiences.

On the blustery, rainy Saturday afternoon of August 28th, Patricia and I were on the playa at the spot which was to become Zonotopia for the next eight days. Amazingly, everything for both structures fit on my Tacoma and a small flat-bed trailer.

Sunday morning we began. We received fantastic placement, just behind the temple in sight of the Man.

Chris K. Palmer, a fellow Zome enthusiast and geometer showed up to assist with the assembly. Here we are organizing parts and soaping the joints.

In short order we had the base ring and bench supports layed out.

Ominous storm clouds loomed as we proceeded past the equator. The custom interlocking wooden panel and connector system performed very well.

We received help and encouragement from friends and passersby.

It turned out to be a beautiful day to build on the playa - not too hot, it never rained and it wasn't too windy.

After about six hours or hard physical work fatigue and hunger began setting in. Help arrived in the form of the Mission Country Club, our friends and campmates who arrived like a calvary come to save the day.

Here we see two expert joint soapers, soaping the connectors with ivory soap. I do believe we had the freshest smelling structure on the playa!

While the soapers soaped other friends assembled last years zome, The Bodhisattva Zome. It was awesome to see it spring to life again on the playa.

It was a great feeling to see so many people happily engaged in my Zome building madness.

The Zonotopia Zome lent it's topmost rhombuses to help loft the Bodhisattva star.

Meanwhile, back at the big zome work proceeded every inwards and upwards. Here I am persuading one of the rhombs into it's proper position.

Like clockwork, around and around, twelve rhombs per revolution the Zonotopia Zome wound it's way toward it's central focus.

Two point two tons of thanks to the Mission Country Club for coming out and creating a wonderful zome building party on the playa.

The sun was setting and we still had two rows to go. We were also reaching the 'do not sit or stand' portion of our ladder. Alex, our campmate, friend and Black Rock City Ranger called in for support from Heavy Machinery. Help was on the way!

Here I am in the basket with all the remaining rhombs while Chris helps from the inside wearing his lucky zome hat. The machine operator was able to move me around the structure with surgical dexterity.

At last an orange moon rose above the horizon, after a long day of zome building, we had only the last row of rhombs to go. Time to call it quits for the evening, get some sleep and continue in the morning.

Early the next morning I finished the final row of rhombs and placed the summit flame. The Zome was finished!

As people emerged from the temple they saw this: Zonotopia. For eight days, there were two complimentary Zomes adorning the playa with graceful architecture and craftsmanship. A manifestation of mathematics, design and simplicity in order to provide a space for experiences to happen.