Snarkitecture: The Beach

On view at the National Building Museum an interactive architectural installation that brings the quintessential summer experience to downtown Washington, D.C.

Spanning across the majestic Great Hall, the National Building Museum commissioned Snarkitecture to design The Beach, which covers 900 square meter and include an “ocean” of nearly one million recyclable translucent plastic balls.

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 15-meter 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.