Snarkitecture's interactive installation Fun House has opened at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. Following their blockbuster ball pit that took over the Great Hall in 2015 and attracted a record-breaking 160,000 visitors, the New York design studio has come back for the Museum's highly anticipated, annual "Summer Block Party."

Established by architect Alex Mustonen and artist Daniel Arsham, the practice operates in the space between art and architecture and are known for their monochrome and mostly stark white aesthetic. They just reached their 10-year anniversary, an accomplishment fiercely celebrated by their installation, which looks back on their decade of work showcasing 42 of the firm's projects. 

“Fun House represents a unique opportunity for us to bring together a number of different Snarkitecture-designed interiors, installations, and objects into a single, immersive experience,” said Alex Mustonen, co-founder of the firm. It is the first time the Museum's series has combined both an exhibition of work as well as an installation.

The Front Yard, which serves as the entryway for the exhibit, features seating spelling out Fun House, playing on their 2012 Miami installation A Memorial Bowling. Visitors then enter the house through an unusual foyer, which recreates their work Dig for the Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York by creating a cavernous entrance with EPS architectural foam. 

Staged as a freestanding structure designed to look like a traditional house, the interior then features a sequence of interactive rooms showcasing some of their most well-known environments and objects, as well as new concepts developed especially for the occasion. Snarkitecture has collaborated with an impressive list of clients over the years, and riffs on their work for COS, Kith, Clavin Klein, all make appearances.

Outside in the back yard, the Great Hall is filled with fun, outdoor activities for museum-goers to enjoy. This includes their Playhouse from Exhibit Columbus last year; reconfigurable seating originally presented as a site–specific outdoor installation at Design Miami/2012; and a kidney-shaped pool filled with beach balls that echoes their widely popular commission by the same museum back in 2015. 

Fun House will remain open until September 3rd, accompanied by various public programming, exhibitions, and events—and it is already sure to be a hit! “Making architecture and design approachable and fun is at the heart of the success of our summer series,” said Chase Rynd, executive director of the National Building Museum. “Snarkitecture really understands our mission of inspiring curiosity about the world we design and build. We know our visitors will be thrilled to immerse themselves in Snarkitecture’s world yet again.”