You’ve seen the Instagrams – there was a giant, white ball pit for grown-ups in D.C. this summer. If you didn’t make it, or somehow didn’t hear about it, this particular ball pit is called “The BEACH,” and is the central exhibit of this year’s “Summer Block Party,” which is hosted annually by the National Building Museum. Past years have featured an indoor mini-golf course and a giant maze; yet this year’s exhibit sought to “bring the quintessential summer experience of going to the beach to downtown Washington, D.C.”
The BEACH is both unexpected and memorable, just as Snarkitecture intended. Made of construction materials like plywood, scaffolding and mesh, and filled with thousands of recyclable plastic balls – all painted in minimalist white – the BEACH is not your typical romp in the sand and surf. The “shoreline,” where the balls meet a raised platform, is typically crowded with smaller children, while the deeper “waters” are full of teens and twenty-somethings, throwing balls and drinking white wine. Up on the shore, two snack bars operate, serving local and eclectic food items like kombucha, interesting chocolate bars, and popsicles. Some nights, live music adds to the cacophony of voices and balls sloshing around.
The Building Museum commissioned Snarkitecture, an artistic firm founded by Alex Mustonen and Daniel Arsham, to build this summer’s featured exhibit. Snarkitecture describes itself as “a collaborative and experimental practice operating in territories between art and architecture,” and the BEACH is their biggest installation to date. Mustonen says that the BEACH was “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.”
As an experience, the ball pit is undoubtedly fun, but it is also a little frightening when crowded, as feet get trod on and people find themselves struggling to move through the unfamiliar sea. Closed toed shoes are an absolute must. As art, the pit makes a subtle statement – the use of construction materials seems to point to an intersection between urban normalcy and exotic adventure that is often overlooked in the rush to escape the city during the summer. But the BEACH doesn’t take itself too seriously. Part art, part playground, the beauty of the BEACH is its visitors. Reflected by mirrors along the walls, visitors see themselves playing, swimming, and socializing, bringing life and color to the completely white backdrop. After last year’s maze, which many Washingtonians saw as something of a let-down, Snarkitecture and the Building Museum created an absolute success, proving that culture can be both fun, and thought-provoking – and that art in of itself can be a party.
However, the installation is now closed, dismantled and the platic balls and other materials have been donated for another use. Details at museum website.