WASHINGTON, DC.- The National Building Museum once again created a one-of-a-kind destination for visitors when it unveiled an interactive architectural installation that brings the quintessential summer experience of going to the beach to downtown Washington, D.C. Spanning across the majestic Great Hall, the Museum commissioned Snarkitecture to design the BEACH, which covers 10,000 square feet and includes an “ocean” of nearly one million recyclable translucent plastic balls. The BEACH opened July 4, 2015 through Labor Day, September 7, 2015.
The BEACH is contained within an enclosure and built out of construction materials such as scaffolding, wooden panels, and perforated mesh, all clad in stark white, consistent with Snarkitecture's aesthetic. Monochromatic beach chairs and umbrellas sprinkle the 50-foot wide “shoreline,” and the “ocean” culminates in a mirrored wall that creates a seemingly infinite reflected expanse. Visitors are welcome to “swim” in the ocean, or can spend an afternoon at the “shore’s” edge reading a good book, play beach-related activities such as paddleball, grab a refreshing drink at the snack bar, or dangle their feet in the ocean off the pier.
“This exclusive transformation of the Museum’s historic Great Hall will inspire a sense of wonder and imagination,” says Chase W. Rynd, executive director of the National Building Museum. “Although it is bound to be an entertaining retreat from the summer heat for our visitors, it also turns our understanding of the natural environment on its head and offers us the opportunity to question our own expectations of the built environment and see where pushing the boundaries can take us.”
“Snarkitecture distinguishes itself by operating in the territory between art and architecture, emphasizing the transformation of the familiar into the extraordinary and the National Building Museum has been a devoted supporter of our aspirations,” said Alex Mustonen, co-founder of Snarkitecture. “We see the commission as an exciting opportunity to create an architectural installation that reimagines the qualities and possibilities of material, encourages exploration and interaction with one’s surroundings, and offers an unexpected and memorable landscape for visitors to relax and socialize within.”
The BEACH is Snarkitecture’s most ambitious public installation to date, both in scale and agenda, and follows on the huge success of last summer’s BIG Maze, designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group.
The BEACH is part of the Museum’s annual “Summer Block Party,” a slate of programming, exhibitions, and events for all ages.
