area 149 | DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

architect: Diller Scofidio + Renfro

location: Washington DC, MD, USA

year: 2013

The ‘Bubble‘ is an inflatable structure that entirely occupies the cylindrical courtyard of the Hirshhorn Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, designed by Gordon Bunshaft and built in 1974. The Bubble is an architecture of air – an anti-monument that sits among the stately stone buildings that line the National Mall in Washington D.C. The pneumatic structure consists of a  thin translucent membrane that squeezes into the void of the doughnut-shaped Modernist concrete building and oozes out of the top and beneath its mass. The temporary structure is designed to be erected once or twice a year, allowing the museum to optimize its footprint by programming the courtyard space. The additional 1,050 square meters of sheltered space can accommodate audiences of 450–500 for an array of public events including performances, films, lectures, and conferences, as well as a café and amenities. The Bubble’s form is shaped by a series of cable rings that constrict the membrane, pulling it away from the inner wall of the courtyard, while another set of cables tethers it into place.  The translucent membrane of the structure, which allows natural light into the event space during the day, exudes a subtle glow from within when illuminated at night.

type: pavilion
location: Washington DC, USA
scale: 1,050 square meters
year: 2013
architect: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
images courtesy: DS+R