A year after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Burning Man artist David Best has created a 35-foot temple to commemorate the anniversary.
An elaborate nondenominational temple, “Temple of Time” will be on display from Feb. 14 to May 1. On the end date, it will be ceremoniously burned.
To burn the temples is a symbol of burning the hurt. Bests says they’re not memorials, but a place where people can gather to reflect and mourn. Miami New Times reports that Best had plans to name the temple “Healing Temple” or “Temple of Healing,” but decided it wasn’t a good fit.
“There’s no way in hell we’re going to heal a murdered child,” he told Miami New Times.
Best and his crew is known for building art structures during the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert, and they have built similar creations around the world, including Nepal, Ireland and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. His first temple was built in honor of a friend who died in a motorcycle accident, according to NPR.
Construction on Temple of Time began on Jan. 30, and members of the community were invited to be a part of the build. The ornate building is made from intricate wood carvings, carefully placed together to create a temple not unlike ones found throughout Asia.
Temple of Time is located at the old Coral Springs City Hall site at 9551 W. Sample Road*. It will be open for all from 7 a.m. to dusk. You can also watch a live video of the temple online.
* We previously wrote the incorrect address. We apologize for the error.
