For Zonotopia 2012 please go to Zonotopia and the Two Trees

---This is our 2011 campaign---

For two years now the wondrous Zomes of Zonotopia have revealed themselves on the Playa at Burningman. ??

Rob Bell creates Zomes: a magical, fantasy like architecture combining art, engineering and love into a series of pavilion-like structures. Like enormous radiolaria the Zomes seem to be enigmatic artifacts from a mythic age long ago. Each year more secrets from this bygone epoch are revealed and each year Zonotopia grows to further enchant people with its solemn, transcendent, spiritual quality.

In 2011 Zonotopia returns, and we need your help to pay for materials and transportation to the playa. Zonotopia is constructed entirely from sustainably harvested wood using state of the art digital fabrication tools and plenty of hand work to create a warm, natural and aesthetically harmonious proportion of form and function. The design, fabrication and construction is a 100% labor of love by the team.

We have a proven track record of delivering.??

In 2009, Rob Bell and Patricia Algara built the Bodhisattva Zome. Immensely popular, this beautiful eight frequency Zome pavilion has charmingly been referred to as a Princess Gazebo. This Zome has been assembled and enjoyed eight times proving the enduring quality of the system and the design.???

In 2010, Rob and Patricia with the help of Mission Country Club brought the Bodhisattva back now accompanied by the new and significantly more complex and larger Zonotopia Zome: a twelve frequency wonder. With a more advanced joinery system, painted white and illuminated with blacklights by night; the Zonotopia Zome fascinated and astounded everyone with it's beautiful proportion and attention to detail from near and far. From weddings to yoga to dance parties this Zome provided a stunning space for experiences to happen.

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And now in 2011, in addition to the return the previous Zomes and some new charming zome siblings we will bring the true power and magic of Zomes forth from the playa in the form of a 40' tall twisting Zome tower to create a true zonohedral wonderland. The structure will be securely anchored to the playa and will be solid and safe for climbers. Inside there will be ample seating, a DJ and dance area and rigging for aerial acrobatic performances.

The astounding modular beauty of the Zome system means that once we begin production the more panels we can fabricate the more amazing art we can bring to the playa. All additional funds beyond our goal will create more magic in this zonohedral wonderland of inspiration and imagination. There are more zonohedral wonders under the Sun and the Moon yet to be seen.

You can help Zonotopia, this Once and Future Utopia of Zomes, rise again and prove that good design and beautiful architecture need not be a high-end commodity.

zome mani padme zome

Rob Bell