The Beach from Afar

To get an idea of just how big the beach is you have to take a step back from it. Here are some shots of it from the second floor of the Building Museum. As you can see, it takes up a large part of the museum's first floor.

Here's an excerpt from a story from the Post on the Beach:

Normally, a sea of plastic would sound like a bad thing, such as trash bags and old water bottles floating in polluted water.

But the National Building Museum has turned the idea into something good. The sea is actually a giant plastic ball pit for you to play in.

As part of its annual summertime installation, the Building Museum is bringing the beach to Washington. The indoor exhibit in the museum’s Great Hall is made up of an “ocean” ball pit, a 50-foot shoreline covered in beach chairs and umbrellas, and a snack bar from the folks at Union Kitchen. 

The inspiration for creating an indoor beach came from wanting to bring a classic American summertime activity to the city. The design, by architecture firm Snarkitecture, aimed to create a simple indoor version of a typical beach experience.

“You can jump off the pier, have a snack, hang out in a chair and read a book,” said Snarkitecture co-founder Alex Mustonen. “Basically what you would do at the beach.”

Look for the man in the blue shirt by the right pillar, that's the day I took pictures of tossing his kids. He's still at it.