CityCenterDC’s “Summer Stream” Installation Exudes Joy

The “Summer Stream” installation in Palmer Alley is a glittering celebration of D.C. summer. It features warm, brightly colored streamers reminiscent of a hot sunny day, with movements that cast shadows on shoppers in the downtown alley below. When walking underneath, it joyfully awakens the senses. 

“Summer Stream” was conceived for Palmer Alley by CityCenterDC in partnership with experiential art and event company Design Foundry. The art installation launched in June and runs until after Labor Day. It is a part of a CityCenterDC effort to bring joy to the District and draw visitors back, particularly after the difficulties of the pandemic. 

“We were thinking about the spring, [transitioning] into the summer, [and] we wanted something colorful, something that exudes joy, something that has movement and texture,” Timothy Lowery, general manager of CityCenterDC says. 

When the installation moves in the breeze, its 16 miles of ribbons (or 28,000 streamers) cause a soothing, rustling sound. The large-scale installation took 250 hours of labor to create. Cory Frank, CMO of Design Foundry, says noting these details helps people understand the scale of the project. 

“It has a very serene feeling, especially if you’re coming at a time where there’s not quite as much hustle-bustle,” Frank says. 

Other people have noticed this feeling and #ccdcsummerstream has been tagged over 123 times on Instagram. This is standard for CityCenterDC, Lowery says, which is known for its Instagrammable installations and experiences. Each installation adds pressure, he says, to one-up themselves with the next design concept, something he feels Summer Stream has successfully done. 

At the same time, Frank says he has enjoyed seeing the different ways people have created their photo moments with the installation on social media, including incorporating architecture and fashion.  

“Someone got a great shot all the way down the alley, [including] the reflections off of the different windows and the reflective materials that are part of the architecture at the city center,” he says. “All that has been exciting.”

Along with “Summer Stream,” the rest of the summer at CityCenterDC will include a Tuesday Farmers Market and Lily’s Flower Truck on Fridays, where visitors can create their own bouquets. In August, Lowrey says he hopes more visitors can experience the art installation. 

“It’s the interaction between the installation and the human piece of people reacting to it, observing it, perceiving it and experiencing it,” he says. “I think it’s such an amazing thing to watch.” 

For information about the installation, visit here.

CityCenterDC: Palmer Alley in NW, DC; citycenterdc.com // @citycenterdc