If the congressional hearing room is meant to be a spectacle, then make it a spectacle…
(Inspired by: Los Angeles film studios, boxing matches, football stadiums, podcast/recording booths, movie theaters, airport security lines, lecture halls, Saturday Night Live, the Panopticon prison, and RuPaul’s Drag Race.)
Using a transparent design approach focused on raising awareness, my aim is to visually convey the intention behind the hearing room’s space. Thus, I proposed SP(ECTACLE)-216, inspired by the original SH-216 Central Hearing Facility located in the Hart Senate Office Building. It features seating similar to a mini concert hall, VIP commentary booths that replace traditional VIP areas (catering to influencers, podcasters, or TikTok livestreamers), and additional seating outside allowing smaller crowds to watch, similar to arena setups. The facade consists of LED screens displaying the hearings like CCTV footage.
The design also includes “workrooms” for Congress members, red-carpet runways for all attendees, and confessional rooms for post-hearing interviews. The intervention embodies spectacle, Hollywood, and curation, aiming for clarity through its media and virality-focused design.
