Getting lost in a world-class museum is all part of the fun, and the National Building Museum in Washington is taking it to a whole new level.

Denmark-based design agency Bjarke Ingels Group has installed a 60×60-foot wide maze in the museum’s Great Hall, based on Europe’s 17th and 18th century labyrinths and garden mazes.

But through the turns, there’s a twist. Instead of the maze getting more difficult to navigate as you get closer to its centre, the wall height descends and reveals a 360-degree view of the path in and out.

On the museum’s website, designer Bjarke Ingels says of the design: “The concept is simple: as you travel deeper into a maze, your path typically becomes more convoluted. What if we invert this scenario and create a maze that brings clarity and visual understanding upon reaching the heart of the labyrinth.”

The structure is a preview of the upcoming BIG exhibition which will open in 2015. 
 

Photos from Bjarke Ingels Group