A life-size indoor maze by BIG—Bjarke Ingels Group—is sure to delight its visitors at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., offering a glimpse into the upcoming BIG exhibition at the Museum in early 2015.
“The concept is simple: as you travel deeper into a maze, your path typically becomes more convoluted,” said Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner, BIG. “What if we invert this scenario and create a maze that brings clarity and visual understanding upon reaching the heart of the labyrinth.”
Inspired by ancient labyrinths, gardens, and hedge mazes of 17th- and 18th-century Europe, and modern American corn mazes, the BIG Maze is located in the National Building Museum’s historic Great Hall. From outside, the maze’s cube-like form hides the final reveal behind its 20-foot-tall walls. On the inside, the walls slowly descend towards the center which concludes with a grand reveal—a 360 degree understanding of your path in and how to get out. The 57x57 feet installation of Baltic birch plywood is open through Sept. 1
"This distinctive maze offers our visitors a chance to physically interact with the work of a cutting-edge, international design firm," said Chase W. Rynd, executive director of the National Building Museum. "It will be a great framework for exploring the exhibition in a few months."
The BIG Exhibition opening in January 2015 will showcase around 90 projects that will grace each of the arches in the Grand Hall visible from ground floor and allowing for a closer view upstairs.
