Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Plans to erect a temporary inflatable event space through the middle of the Hirshhorn Museum are moving forward, according to a news release from the Smithsonian Institution. The Hirshhorn has received “supportive comments” from the National Capital Planning Commission for the seasonal bubble, which would be installed twice a year for special events, and the Commission of Fine Arts approved the concept in February.

News of the museum’s inflated ambitions first surfaced in The New York Times back in December. New York architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the same team that designed Manhattan’s The High Line, released a series of images of the bubble plans, which would extend 145 feet in the air, enclosing the courtyard of the Hirshhorn and billowing up and out to house a lounge, auditorium and stage.

In a written recommendation to the commission, NCPC executive director Marcel Acosta called the bubble an “exciting and unanticipated attraction.” The commission is, however, recommending that the Hirshhorn develop designs for two versions of the project before deciding on a final version.