Fans of Burning Man and/or public art will soon have a new piece to celebrate. A new temple is coming to Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley, courtesy of The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) and Burning Man. The Temple at Patricia's Green is the work of artist David Best, who also constructs the temples that are built and burned each year at Burning Man. 

Longtime residents of the neighborhood may remember Best's 2005 Hayes Valley temple, The Hayes Green Temple, which was the very first piece of public art to be displayed on Patricia's Green. A decade later, the city has invited Best back to create a new version to commemorate the 10th anniversary of public art in the park. Like the original, the new temple will be an interactive art installation, allowing the community to write personal messages of remembrance to loved ones.

Photo: San Francisco Arts Commission

Construction on the temple will begin this week, with plans for it to stay in place for the next year. (Unlike Best's temples in Black Rock City, which are burned after a week, this version will be weatherproofed.) But as Best explains in a statement, the temple won't be truly complete until the community participates. "When we finish the temple and turn it over to the community, it is an empty building ... It has no life until the community brings that life to it."