Hive installation
In April 2017, the National Building Museum of Washington D.C. revealed plans for a new interactive installation to be constructed in time for summer. Designed by the architecture and urban design practice Studio Gang, the 'Hive' installation will be the latest in a series of temporary structures in the historic Great Hall.
Hive will be constructed using 2,700 wound-paper tubes which will vary in size from several inches to 10 ft high. The tubes will be interlocked to create three dynamic interconnected, domed chambers. Reaching a height of 60 ft, the installation will fill the Great Hall, and the tallest dome will feature an oculus measuring more than 10 ft in diameter.
The paper material will be recyclable, lightweight and renewable, and will feature a reflective silver exterior and vivid magenta interior. This colouring will create a spectacular visual contrast with the 19th century Corinthian columns inside the museum.
The chambers will adopt a catenary shape, which will balance the structural forces, making them self-supporting. Visitors will be allowed into the installation at ground level and will be able to get a different perspective from the upper floor balconies.
Visitors will be invited to explore how a structure can modify sound, light, scale, and human interaction. Hive’s smaller chambers will promote organic, intimate encounters and play with tubular instruments ranging from simple drums to chimes suspended within the space. Each chamber will have unique acoustic properties that will affect the instruments’ tone, reverberation, and reflection as well as visitors’ perceptions.
Studio Gang founding principal Jeanne Gang said; “When you enter the Great Hall you almost feel like you’re in an outside space because of the distance sound travels before it is reflected back and made audible. We’ve designed a series of chambers shaped by sound that are ideally suited for intimate conversations and gatherings as well as performances and acoustic experimentation … we create a hive for these activities, bringing people together to explore and engage the senses.”
Complemented by a full schedule of concerts, tours, and talks, Hive will be open to the public July 4 to September 4, 2017.
Content and images courtesy Studio Gang.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Starting a new built environment degree? We have a wide range of resources aimed at students.
Former railway chief James Blake says trust and control are key to successful infrastructure projects.
Do you know your Rococo from your De Stijl, your Gothic from your Post-modernist?
May outlines a new funding strategy for housing associations and says the 'stigma' of social housing needs to end.
RIBA launches a consultation on a new Plan of Work for Fire Safety.
This article offers some basic rules to follow when writing your next specification.
The iconic Mackintosh Building will definitely be rebuilt, board chairwoman confirms.
The machinery used to fashion stone has changed dramatically - and so have the products.
This type of pile provides support to the building, as well as acting as a heat source and a heat sink.
Why investors are adopting the SDGs and why civil engineering could be crucial for delivering them.
Read about all the winners from the London ceremony of CIAT's 2018 Architectural Technology Awards.