You know the folded paper fortune-tellers you probably made as a kid? Some of those are at the National Building Museum this month — only they’re more than 5 feet wide, made out of mirrors, and suspended from the ceiling.
And in case that didn’t pique your interest, the museum’s grand main hall is also playing host to nine 8-foot kaleidoscopes you’ll be able to sit under and look through.
Veterans of the ball pit, ball pit II: suburbs edition, the hammock-strewn lawn, the giant icebergs, and the gigantic bee hive have probably already caught on: it’s time for the National Building Museum’s Summer Block Party. In other words, get your camera ready.
The annual event, now in its seventh year, is a massive installation that lends whimsy, fun, and a sense of awe to the museum’s already-grand Great Hall. Last year’s program brought a full Shakespearean stage and A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the space; this year’s exhibit is called “Look Here,” and it’s the brainchild of New York architect Suchi Reddy and her firm Reddymade Architecture and Design. Reddy is the first woman of color to spearhead the Summer Block Party installation.
Reddy’s work is known for using design to evoke a sense of emotion and personal connection, and “Look Here” follows in that tradition. Visitors to the exhibit will enter the hall and walk along a 245-foot oval ramp under the giant mirrored fortune-tellers (20 of them!) suspended from the Great Hall’s cavernous ceiling. The ramp leads to a platform with seats and pillows where visitors can look up at the mirrors and through giant kaleidoscopes, also encased in mirrors to reflect light around the enormous space. Another ramp leads to the exit.
Along the ramp, visitors will also view images of the 1963 March on Washington — celebrating its 60th anniversary this August — and other important moments of activism in D.C.
“As visitors come across these images in Look Here, they can see themselves in the reflective surfaces and join in these moments from our collective history,” the description on the museum’s website promises.
“The reflection of the Museum’s interior, the constant movement of the prismatic elements, and the changing sun create a spectacular contemplative space during the day and a lively entertainment space at night,” the description continues.
The museum plans to host events in the space throughout the summer to exploit those time of day differences, including guided meditations, sound baths, and a nighttime disco party. Take a look at the calendar for details.
“Look Here” is now open to the public, and runs through Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 4). Though admission to the museum’s Great Hall is free, admission to the exhibit is $10 for adults and $7 for youth ages 3-17, students with IDs, and seniors over 60. The National Building Museum is located at 401 F St. NW and open Thursday-Monday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Margaret Barthel



