The Dustea Dome
In Brief: A 400ft2 teapot-shaped dome created to host talks, events, and hot/cold tea service for camp Dustea Pickle at Burning Man.
“The tea dome was amazing as a work of art and as a place to come back to/build community.”
— Leah Duran, Burning Man 2019
Description
The Dustea Pickle’s Dustea Dome is an approximately 12ft tall and 24ft wide geodesic dome modeled in the shape of a teapot.
The pop-up space was designed and created in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was created be used as a small venue in Black Rock City, the temporary city that hosts the internationally (in)famous event known as Burning Man.
Hot tea, cold tea, cocktails, cookies and, when the time is right, pancakes are the most common offerings served up in the venue. Talks and small-scale events are hosted in the dome throughout the week.
Interactivity (Day)
- Iced Tea Station — Serving over 10 gallons of fresh iced tea daily.
- The Barmacy — A spot where visitors can pick up earbuds, hygiene supplies, and other first aid, as well as pharmacy-themed drinks.
Interactivity (Night)
- Hot Tea Service — From dusk to midnight serving hot tea and cookies to guests.
- 10K addressable LED, sound-responsive chandelier.
“The tea dome was amazing as a work of art and as a place to come back to/build community.”
— Leah Duran, Burning Man 2019
Event History and Placement
Concept and Creation
Interior decor and style was inspired by historic sites like the Moulin Rouge, French brothels, and a general 1800’s French Bohemian-esque aesthetic. The exterior was inspired by French and Chinese teapots.
While Burning Man is filled with fiery colors, the blue design both popped out against the oranges and reds, but also matched the Black Rock Desert’s pale dust.
A geodesic dome would be the base because it was easy to transport and store, provided a massive amount of space with minimal materials, and could be easily amended to look like a teapot. To further save on materials and space, minimal polygons were used to build the spout and handle.
Fabrication
Given transpiration, storage, and budget limitations a geodesic dome was selected. That option provided a massive amount of space with minimal materials and could be easily amended to look like a teapot. To save further on materials and space, the amount of polygons used to build the spout and handle on the pot were shaved down again and again.
Contributors
Installation and Operation
During it’s inaugural year in 2018 TEADOME was a hit and served a few hundred people. In 2019 a larger camp, amazing location, and more resources made During open hours it was consistently packed full with people stopping for supplies or to fill up their cup.
Events were hosted by both Camp Dusty Pickle members and guests from outside of camp. Hundreds of pancakes and several pounds of cookies were handed out to hungry wanderers.
Our best estimate is that we served at least 55 gallons of hot tea, cold tea, and electrolyte drink during the week.
