A Burning Man Mutant Vehicle
The Castle Anomalous mutant vehicle started as a school bus that was used to transport elementary school children in Washington state for twenty five years through early 2008. It was purchased as a conversion project in April 2008, and in August 2008 it made its playa debut as a Burning Man mutant vehicle.
Original school bus in April 2008 just four months before its debut as a Burning Man mutant vehicle.
The Castle Anomalous design is a little different than other large Burning Man mutant vehicles. It consists of three main areas: a large roof deck, a small driving area inside the front of the bus with steps up to the roof deck, and a large private room inside the back of the bus. The overall design creates a complete mobile theme camp that consists of both a public roof deck that holds forty people plus a large DJ sound system as well as a large private inner chill space exclusively for camp members and guests. Although anyone can ride on the amazing public roof deck, only a few people will get see or experience the unique private inner space of the Castle Anomalous mutant vehicle.
The Castle Anomalous roof deck consists of a frame made from a ton of welded steel (left photo above) that is covered with plywood sheets (right photo above). Stairs leading up to a large roof opening near the front of the bus allows a lot of people to quickly climb on and off the roof deck.
The public roof deck is the main focus of the Castle Anomalous mutant vehicle, and it is always very popular on playa. The roof deck is always filled to capacity throughout the day and night, and thousands of people have already enjoyed great music and views while driving all over the playa. The Castle Anomalous roof deck is twelve feet off the ground which is high enough to provide amazing, unobstructed views of the man, the temple, the city and the open playa.
A typical night on the Castle Anomalous roof deck. It doesn't get much better than this. A DJ playing great music, dozens of people talking and dancing, great views of the playa, lots of dust, ...
The first year on the playa in 2008, the bus was the Inca Roads mutant vehicle with a basic "spaceship" design. For the inaugural trip on the playa after getting licensed, the full Burning Man Marching Band played from the roof deck while lots of people on the deck and surrounding streets danced. From the inaugural trip with the marching band through the temple burn and the subsequent dust storm, the Inca Roads mutant vehicle was a tremendous amount of fun for all that visited. Viewing the man and temple burn from the roof deck was a highlight of Burning Man for many people in 2008.
The Inca Roads mutant vehicle being assembled on the playa in 2008.
As people were using and interacting with the Inca Roads mutant vehicle on the playa in 2008, we realized that it actually consists of three distinct areas: a public roof deck, a private inner chill space and a small front entrance area. The front entrance area includes the driver and a very small public chill space that can fit up to five people, and it connects the two main spaces in the mutant vehicle (roof deck and chill space). It was very interesting how the different spaces were used on the playa in 2008. The public roof deck was very popular all times of the day and night, and it was a very fun public space with great music and views. The inner area was used as a private chill space that offered a great place for lots of people to take a break from the playa even when the mutant vehicle was driving. The small front entrance area was much more popular than expected, and it was usually filled to capacity every time the mutant vehicle was driving on the playa.
Based on how the mutant vehicle was used in 2008, we decided to permanently change to a "castle" theme starting in 2009 and Castle Anomalous was born. As a "castle" driving around the playa, lots of people will get to enjoy the three very different "castle chambers": the castle roof, the private inner castle chamber and the entrance way with the king's chamber. The king of Castle Anomalous will drive his mobile "castle" around the playa from his "king's chamber" while people visit and interact with the other areas in the castle.
The Castle Anomalous name was derived from the definition for anomalous:
Anomalous - adjective [uh-nom-uh-luhs]
- Deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; irregular; abnormal.
- Not fitting into a common or familiar type, classification, or pattern; unusual.
- Incongruous or inconsistent.
Our intention with the Castle Anomalous mutant vehicle is to create a mobile "castle" for the playa that produces a very unique artistic, visual and interactive Burning Man experience. Whether parked at our theme camp or on the move across the playa, the Castle Anomalous mutant vehicle creates a focus for interaction, conversation, music, dancing, and art.
Come to Burning Man 2012 to see for the first time the new, improved and expanded Castle Anomalous mutant vehicle design.
The Castle Anomalous mutant vehicle being assembled on playa in 2009.