Ch1b1 decided that there was too much modern art in the sculpture park—we needed something more retro. That's “retro,” as in “retro rockets,” because this build may leave you reaching for your thermal protection system.

After an embarrassing series of melt-downs at Three Miles Highland, the DTA decided to prioritize the use of natural, renewable sources of energy. Although lava has both terrible and awesome destructive potential when weaponized, its power can also be harnessed for peaceful purposes: namely, geo-thermal energy. A conical structure was built which continuously re-circulates hot lava, via convection. Thermal energy is extracted using thermocouples, which periodically engage to cool the lava, turning it black. The lamp-like shape is merely a coincidence.

This is a three-dimensional, scale recreation of a space-age novelty, with one key improvement: we used actual lava. Just like an actual lava lamp, this one has patterns which change randomly over time.

The center of the lava lamp is located at -320 66 270 in the Laumeier sculpture park. From Locke's Lab, head outbound on Route 1 in the direction of his chicken farm. Unless you've got your render distance set to “Silent Hill” mode, you can't miss it. A road branches off from Route 1 on the left; follow the signs to reach the base of the lamp. The rolling sands are only a short walk away, so go and see them while you're at it.

Due to extreme internal temperatures—not to mention the lack of fire exits—the inside of the lava lamp is probably not someplace you want to be.

Lava lamp during construction

The lava lamp is made from an advanced stone and ceramic composite, which enables it to withstand the extreme heat of the lava. Its inner core, as seen during the lamp's construction, is shown on the right. The core contains random number generators and pistons which produce ever-changing patterns on the surface of the lava. The lava flows freely between the core and the outer layer of glass.

The lava lamp was constructed in a valley as a safety precaution against accidental release of pyroclastic material. Additional lava is stored nearby, in a series of underground bunkers.

The lava lamp was designed and constructed by Ch1b1 and Trigonography, with funding provided in part by ManaLocke. Construction was completed on Feb. 6, 2014.

Extra batteries? It's a lava lamp, not a Magma-lite.