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.’ 

snarkitecture beach ball pit national building museum washington DC
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.

snarkitecture beach ball pit national building museum washington DC
the museum’s great hall is transformed into an immersive, sensory playground
photo by noah kalina

snarkitecture beach ball pit national building museum washington DC
photo by noah kalina

snarkitecture beach ball pit national building museum washington DC
visitors are invited to play in the giant ocean of translucent orbs
photo by noah kalina

snarkitecture beach ball pit national building museum washington DC
image courtesy of snarkitecture

snarkitecture beach ball pit national building museum washington DC
hite beach chairs and umbrellas line the 50-foot-wide ‘shoreline’
photo by noah kalina

snarkitecture beach ball pit national building museum washington DC
a place for rest and relaxation lines the area before the ball pit 
photo by noah kalina

snarkitecture beach ball pit national building museum washington DC
entering ‘the beach’ at the national building museum
photo by noah kalina

snarkitecture beach ball pit national building museum washington DC
alex mustonen and daniel arsham of snarkitecture
photo by noah kalina