To celebrate the Smithsonian Institution’s 175th anniversary, a year-long exhibition, "FUTURES," is located at the 1881 Arts & Industries Building (AIB). Part exhibition, part festival, "FUTURES" is a prototype for the building’s next big chapter and its first major exhibition in 40 years. Past future-making artifacts sit in conversation with contemporary objects, provoking questions that address both the hopeful and the ambiguous nature of future-casting. "FUTURES" invites artists, designers, and the public to respond to help imagine the many futures that could be.
Our architects designed approximately 30,000 square feet of exhibition space in the four main halls off of the AIB’s central rotunda. And the LAB at Rockwell Group contributed a unifying layer of interactive digital storytelling, involving UI/UX design and software development.
"This exhibition approaches the idea of the future with curiosity and optimism."
No matter which direction you go in, there are plenty of opportunities to encounter something unexpected.
Our team created the West Hall pavilion with mushroom mycelium bricks, which take three months to grow. The high-strength material signifies the importance of efficiency and regeneration; faster isn’t necessarily better.
