Lawn

Lawn is more than a place; it’s a state of mind, a shared memory, a space in which to move, or be still, with the freedom to decide for yourself what to do — alone, together, or alone together.

Continuing the National Building Museum's tradition of Summer Block Party installations, we introduced Lawn in Summer 2019. Celebrating and exploring the public and private identities of a lawn as an iconic communal space for interaction and performance, we created a space to inspire people to share stories, make memories, and daydream.

Our installation is a vast, sloping green space that consumes the first two bays of the Museum’s Great Hall. Arriving at the base, guests are met with a green expanse, set on a graceful incline and dotted with clusters of communal lounging areas. Hammocks suspended from the ceiling contain hidden speakers programmed with pre-recorded audio from over 20 prominent American storytellers.