View Video - Interview with Nancy Hou and Josh de Sousa

View Video - Time-lapse installation of Aura

The artist team Hou de Sousa (Nancy Hou and Josh de Sousa) was selected to create three site-specific artworks for the new WMATA D.C. headquarters. Aura is a suspended artwork located in the lobby of the building. The sculpture Hooray and the sculptural bench Pebble are respectively located on 7th Street SW and on D Street SW.

The artists stated that "When designing this triptych of public sculptures, it was easy to find inspiration within the immediate site as well as the broader context of Washington, D.C. Pierre L'Enfant's visionary urban plan for the District echoes throughout each sculpture proposal, as do the architectural features of Harry Weese's iconic D.C. metro stations, and Studios Architecture's fantastic WMATA HQ campus design. From the onset we appreciated how the design of the new HQ building and surrounding landscape reverberate with the geometric qualities of nearby L'Enfant Plaza Station, and we've worked to maintain a dialogue with each of these critical precedents by deploying a vocabulary of intersecting diagonal lines, rounded corners, and coffered spaces."

Aura is composed of 34 coffered frames interwoven with blue, yellow, and green polyester cord in reference to DC's metro lines. This site-specific piece was shaped by the curvaceous architectural context of the WMATA Headquarters, while simultaneously drawing inspiration from the geometries and spaces of DC's iconic vaulted stations.

Hooray is composed of steel fins radially arranged to reflect DC's urban grid. It is situated within a pocket of public space notched away from the perimeter of the HQ building. This idea of creating shared space to enhance the community became a key driver when designing the sculpture. The heart of the sculpture is carved away, creating an aperture and public throne that encourages direct engagement and use. The sculpture serves as a landmark observable from a great distance, while its richly textured fins, inspired by the color of cherry blossoms and DC metro lines, invite visual exploration from all angles.

Pebble is a yellow, latticed sculptural bench made of hand-forged painted steel rods that encircles a pink blooming cherry tree. Pebble negotiates between the boundary of its site and the tree within it, ultimately providing a unique bench and a horizontal counterpoint to Hooray's vertical presence.

Hou de Sousa is a New York based multi-disciplinary studio. In addition to large scale art installations and sculptures, the artists team has built a variety of hospitality, residential, and public projects both domestically and abroad.

This project was funded by WMATA as part of a capital project at the new WMATA D.C. headquarters.

Aura, Hooray, and Pebble received the international 2023 CODAawards Merit Award in the Institutional category.