Studio Gang's hotly-anticipated installation, called Hive, has been opened to the public at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. - the domed-installation introduces an immersive structure, made out of more than 2,700 pinky wound paper tubes to experience it and its surrounding with light and sound in different ways.

Commissioned by the National Building Museum last year, the temporary structure is presented as part of the latest installations of the Museum’s annual Summer Block Party series, following Icebergs by James Corner Field Operations, which remained open through September 5, 2016. Previous summer collaborations included The Beach by Snarkitecture and the BIG Maze by the Bjarke Ingels Group.

Soaring above the Museum’s Great Hall, Hive is entirely made out of wound paper tubes - the studio choses this construction material as it is lightweight, recyclable, and renewable. 

The studio uses more than 2,700 pinky tubes, varying in size from several inches to 10 feet high (approximately 3 meters) and they are interlocked to create three dynamic interconnected, domed chambers. Reaching 60 feet tall (18 meters), the installation’s tallest dome features an oculus over 10 feet in diameter.

The tubes feature a mesmerizing skin, comprised of a reflective silver exterior and vivid magenta interior -  the installation creates a sharp visual contrast with the Museum’s historic 19th century interior and colossal Corinthian columns.

"Visitors are invited to explore how a structure can modify and reflect sound within these playful chambers. The whole structure acts acoustically like a clearing in a forest—some sounds are reflected back while others pass through the tubes, creating an intimate space within the large field of the Great Hall," said Studio Gang.

"Various interactive experiences including opportunities to play with tubular instruments, created by acoustic engineer John Tewksbury and percussionist Steve Bloom, amplify the installation’s specific acoustic properties. Together the installation, activities, and instruments activate the space, bringing people together to engage in a dynamic sonic environment."

The Hive will be on view between July 4 - September 4, 2017 at the National Building Museum's Great Hall. During this period, the Hive will host many concerts, performances, and talks as part of the program of the Museum. 

"The magenta was inspired by the Women’s March" in Washington, D. C. last January, Gang said during a press preview earlier this week. "It kind of connects back to that." 

"The color choice was an aesthetic decision," Gang explained. "Magenta was so present at the Women’s March, when you saw the hats," Gang said. "You couldn’t help but be inspired by the color. We wanted to bring that out."

Each chamber features an oculus that filters natural light from the Museum’s clerestories

Hive’s catenary form recalls other built and natural structures such as Saarinen’s Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Brunelleschi’s Dome at the Florence Cathedral in Italy, and vernacular Musgum mud huts in Cameroon.

Video by Work Zone Cam shows construction progress of Hive at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

All images © Tim Schenck

> via Studio Gang/The National Building Museum