snarkitecture turns the national building museum into a 10,000 sq ft ball pit

snarkitecture turns the national building museum into a 10,000 sq ft ball pit
photo by noah kalina

from now through september 7, 2015, the national building museum in washington D.C. hosts a 10,000 square foot ball pit filled by nearly one million recyclable translucent plastic balls. ‘the beach’ is the brainchild of brooklyn-based studio snarkitecture, who sees the project 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.’ 

visitors dive into a pool of nearly one million recyclable plastic balls
photo by noah kalina

‘the beach’ brings the quintessential summer experience to washington, D.C, transforming the museum’s monumental great hall into an immersive, sensory playground. within the enclosure, a spectrum of summer-themed activities offer an entertaining retreat from the heat. white beach chairs and umbrellas line the 50-foot-wide ‘shoreline’ that meets the ‘ocean’ of transparent orbs — a mirrored wall creates a seemingly infinite expanse. visitors are invited to bounce, jump, flip and frolic inside the deep pit of balls, or, if the prefer, to find retreat at the ‘shore’s’ edge with a book, play paddleball, or grab a drink at the snack bar.

the museum’s great hall is transformed into an immersive, sensory playground
photo by noah kalina

photo by noah kalina

visitors are invited to play in the giant ocean of translucent orbs
photo by noah kalina

image courtesy of snarkitecture

hite beach chairs and umbrellas line the 50-foot-wide ‘shoreline’
photo by noah kalina

a place for rest and relaxation lines the area before the ball pit 
photo by noah kalina

entering ‘the beach’ at the national building museum
photo by noah kalina

alex mustonen and daniel arsham of snarkitecture
photo by noah kalina