yi zhou

This design competition called for a site-specific installation within a 14,000 SF decommissioned underground streetcar station located in downtown Washington, D.C. The competition brief required the reuse of 700,000+ ball-pit balls, previously used in The Beach Installation that was shown at the National Building Museum in 2015.

This installation reimagined the visitor’s journey through this space based on the adventures of Alice in Wonderland and the characters and situations that she encounters. The descent into this unique, raw infrastructural space mirrors the descent down the rabbit hole, into an unknown subterranean world.

The design weaves 7 different experiential rooms together, united by the prominence of the translucent white ball-pit ball and the sensation of shrinking and growing in relation to the size of the balls. Visitors move through a disorienting game of “pull-me” tabs, through a forest of flowing orbs that mirror the mysterious disappearing smile of the Cheshire Cat, to a chaotic game of croquet, and finally emerging triumphant through an army of playing cards.

The design delivers an experience that centers on whimsy, playfulness, and engagement to transform a forgotten piece of urban infrastructure into a subterranean wonderland.