The tower was rather controversial because, for the first time in Burning Man history that I'm aware, an art project was built by regular paid union labour rather than a team of volunteers.

So on the one hand, it did feel like a bunch of hired guns did the work, rather than passionate volunteers. But on the other hand, how is that different from the crews of toilet cleaners and paramedics employed to work the site? And a cold rectilinear steel skyscraper is pretty American Dream.