Bouncy Safety Net Installation Encourages Museum Fun in Singapore

How do you interact with children inside a museum to increase their cultural appetite? Atelier YokYok installed a giant safety net under the main dome of the National Museum of Singapore that allows visitors to witness the art works from a different perspective.

Named Soft Dome, the temporary art installation is 36 ft (11m) wide and 22 ft (7m) high and was put together off-site before being delivered to the museum. The polypropylene net was especially created for the Children’s Season, which lasts until the end of July 2017, and underlines the main theme of the events — Connections.

“Soft Dome is a kind of bouncy hemispheric net that you can experience in the museum’s main rotunda,” the designers explained. “Visitors to the museum are confronted with this majestic black net structure that invades the space.” The concept of an inverted dome is inspired by the interior of the building.

The interaction with the suspended safety net is meant to trigger amusement for both children and adults. “Awe soon gives way to curiosity as you work out how to climb inside the Soft Dome,” Atelier YokYok said.

“Once you venture inside, the visual connection with the museum architecture becomes obvious, as does the link with the building, and you can dive, swing, climb inside the inverted dome, enjoying this playful and exciting interpretation of the museum space.” Photography: Atelier YokYok