Science & Tech

Kids Build Incredible ‘Abandoned Intergalactic Space Station’ at Camp

by Matthew Hart
Nov 8 2017 • 5:00 AM

When you think of camp, you probably think of playing dodgeball with friends or horseback riding or telling some campfire tales that would’ve been better had Neil Gaiman written them. But for the 90 or so kids in New Hampshire who attended Beam Camp, daily activities mostly revolved around building a life-sized abandoned intergalactic space station dubbed Salvage Station No. 8. And despite the structure having the facade of an atompunk artifact you’d come across while playing Fallout, it appears that the kids totally nailed this build. Both literally and figuratively.

Bored Panda picked up on the Beam Camp project, which began with a design by sculptor, cartoonist, and installation artist Shing Yin Khor, who also goes by the name Sawdust Bear. According to Khor’s personal website, the design was originally intended for Burning Man, but ended up as “as an immersive and interactive installation” for the Beam campers.

“Over the course of three weeks, kids between the ages of 9-16 learned carpentry, propmaking, moldmaking, scenic painting, sign painting and basic electrical skills,” Khor wrote on her site. She added that the whole structure was built in only a week.

The campers used sketches and models made by Khor as their guide, and were given the opportunity to showcase what they’d learned over the course of their stay in the respective construction trades. The result of the kids’ work is nothing short of impressive — most impressive, even — and seen out of context, it seems reasonable to guess that the build could be mistaken for professional quality. Check out more images of it in the gallery below.

The space station, which combines many popular sci-fi building elements, including some Starship Troopers flare and a dash of Jurassic Park style, boasts several rooms, including an “organic salvage room” as well as a room housing “biomech tentacles.” Some of the parts used, such as the rivets lining the floor of the space station, were also custom-designed and 3D printed.

After they were done building Salvage Station No. 8, the campers used the structure as a stage for sci-fi storytelling and theater. It’s not clear if the structure will remain standing at Beam Camp, or if it will be torn down. But the valuable skills they learned will probably last them a lifetime. Plus they can tell their friends they used power tools.

What do you think about this magnificent sci-fi structure made by campers? Would you hire this team for your next production? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: Beam Center

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