Snarkitecture installation recreates beach experience at Washington museum
POSTED 09 Jun 2015 . BY Jason Holland
The 10,000sq ft BEACH uses a variety of materials and will be open until 7 September Credit: Snarkitecture
A beach made from a mishmash of construction materials and an ocean comprised of 750,000 recyclable plastic balls is being created in the heart of Washington, D.C.
Brooklyn-based design studio Snarkitecture has created the 10,000sq ft (929sq m) interactive architectural exhibit – the BEACH – for the National Building Museum. It follows in the footsteps of a life-sized maze designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, which was installed in the museum’s Great Hall last summer.
The BEACH will be built out of construction materials including scaffolding, wooden panels, and perforated mesh, all clad in stark white to be consistent with Snarkitecture's aesthetic, while monochromatic beach chairs and umbrellas will line the 50ft (15m) wide “shoreline”.
The translucent plastic balls will form an “ocean” for visitors to swim in, which culminates in a mirrored wall that creates a seemingly infinite reflected expanse.
“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 socialise within,” said Alex Mustonen, co-founder of Snarkitecture.
Scheduled to open on 4 July and running to 7 September, a crowd-funding campaign has been set up to help construct the BEACH. Rewards include the chance to have your name written on one of the balls. Already nearly halfway towards a US$10,000 (€8,883, £6,545) goal, the project page can be viewed here.
Visitors will be able to swim in the “ocean” – made up of hundreds of thousands of translucent plastic balls Credit: Snarkitecture
RELATED STORIES
Lost and Found; BIG unveils maze at The National Building Museum, US POSTED 11 Jul 2014. BY Katie Buckley Washington's National Building Museum in the US has revealed its latest
exhibition – a complex wooden maze designed by Danish architecture firm
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) which fills the large West Court of the Museum’s
Great Hall
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Snarkitecture installation recreates beach experience at Washington museum
POSTED 09 Jun 2015 . BY Jason Holland
The 10,000sq ft BEACH uses a variety of materials and will be open until 7 September Credit: Snarkitecture
A beach made from a mishmash of construction materials and an ocean comprised of 750,000 recyclable plastic balls is being created in the heart of Washington, D.C.
Brooklyn-based design studio Snarkitecture has created the 10,000sq ft (929sq m) interactive architectural exhibit – the BEACH – for the National Building Museum. It follows in the footsteps of a life-sized maze designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, which was installed in the museum’s Great Hall last summer.
The BEACH will be built out of construction materials including scaffolding, wooden panels, and perforated mesh, all clad in stark white to be consistent with Snarkitecture's aesthetic, while monochromatic beach chairs and umbrellas will line the 50ft (15m) wide “shoreline”.
The translucent plastic balls will form an “ocean” for visitors to swim in, which culminates in a mirrored wall that creates a seemingly infinite reflected expanse.
“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 socialise within,” said Alex Mustonen, co-founder of Snarkitecture.
Scheduled to open on 4 July and running to 7 September, a crowd-funding campaign has been set up to help construct the BEACH. Rewards include the chance to have your name written on one of the balls. Already nearly halfway towards a US$10,000 (€8,883, £6,545) goal, the project page can be viewed here.
Visitors will be able to swim in the “ocean” – made up of hundreds of thousands of translucent plastic balls Credit: Snarkitecture
RELATED STORIES
Lost and Found; BIG unveils maze at The National Building Museum, US POSTED 11 Jul 2014. BY Katie Buckley Washington's National Building Museum in the US has revealed its latest
exhibition – a complex wooden maze designed by Danish architecture firm
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) which fills the large West Court of the Museum’s
Great Hall
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
