Timo Harboe

The ORB: From fabric simulation to construction

For The Orb at Burning Man, Timo developed automated workflows for modelling and simulating the giant reflective sphere, alongside structural design and assembly planning.

Work by Timo Harboe while employed at Bjarke Ingels Group.

2018
The Orb’s reflective sphere above its supporting mast, surrounded by visitors at Burning Man.
The completed installation at Burning Man.Source: BIG

The Work

Timo helped take the giant reflective sphere from early sketches to construction at Burning Man, working with the team on structural design, assembly planning and the build itself, right down to tightening the last bolt.

The fabric had to hold its shape in wind and be manageable during assembly. Simulations explored the role of internal air pressure and how the material would drape over the mast. Timo used Kangaroo and K2Engineering for these studies.

The Orb at BIG

Gallery

Two simulations labelled No wind and Wind, showing the sphere’s changing shape at an internal pressure of 0.5 mbar.
Early studies showing why sufficient internal air pressure is essential to maintaining the sphere’s shape in wind.
Aerial evening view of The Orb above a crowd at Burning Man, with Black Rock City and mountains beneath a sunset sky.
A collage showing a person working on the steel base, the bolted base frame laid out on site, and the completed Orb with visitors below.
The bolted steel base during assembly, alongside the completed installation.Source: LinkedIn
Section drawing of the sphere around an inclined lattice mast, with a person shown for scale.
A section through the sphere and its inclined supporting mast.Source: BIG
On-site assembly of The Orb’s fabric above a digital simulation of the fabric draped over its horizontal lattice mast.
Simulated fabric draped over the mast (below), compared with the actual site photograph (above).Source: LinkedIn
The Orb’s reflective sphere above its inclined lattice mast, with people and bicycles below in the desert dust.
Source: LinkedIn
Two simulations labelled No wind and Wind, showing the sphere’s changing shape at an internal pressure of 0.5 mbar.
Early studies showing why sufficient internal air pressure is essential to maintaining the sphere’s shape in wind.
On-site assembly of The Orb’s fabric above a digital simulation of the fabric draped over its horizontal lattice mast.
Simulated fabric draped over the mast (below), compared with the actual site photograph (above).Source: LinkedIn
Aerial evening view of The Orb above a crowd at Burning Man, with Black Rock City and mountains beneath a sunset sky.
The Orb’s reflective sphere above its inclined lattice mast, with people and bicycles below in the desert dust.
Source: LinkedIn
A collage showing a person working on the steel base, the bolted base frame laid out on site, and the completed Orb with visitors below.
The bolted steel base during assembly, alongside the completed installation.Source: LinkedIn
Section drawing of the sphere around an inclined lattice mast, with a person shown for scale.
A section through the sphere and its inclined supporting mast.Source: BIG