We were tasked with finding a location and putting an installation for passersby to interact with all without using the benefit of words. We chose the High Line for the unique features it possesses as an aerial corridor suspended above the streets of Manhattan. 

After considering and discarding several ideas for what to put in the space such as introducing a commuter lane for locals who use the space to avoid walking on surface streets, or a introducing frames to focus sightseers' camera lenses, we settled on a life size jenga game. 

Jenga, a game created by Leslie Scott for Parker Brothers, is a staple in multiple arenas, from bars to kindergarten classrooms, and thus we bargained on it being immediately recognizable to passersby. After putting together our jenga blocks, we went to the High Line on three separate occasions for an interval of three hours to see what happened. 

On our first day we were blown away by the level of engagement. We chose a spot near one of the art installations above 19th street, and started to play. In only a short time, a child asked to participate.

We could not communicate with participants due to the constraints of the assignment, but participants nearly always understood the rules, and casual watchers were often on hand to provide instructions. When the tower got high, it rose to the level of performance, with big crowds stopping to watch to see if it would topple.

Our most successful game got up 15 layers. 

Because our initial prototype had a base of 20 inches high, which caused difficulty for shorter participants, most notably children, we lowered the base to 12 inches, and returned to the High Line at a different location.

This time, the structure got up to 18 layers!

Because both of our previous prototypes had involved heavy involvement from us, we decided to return to the High Line and take a step back, to see what participants would do on their own.

Without us acting as moderators play wound up being more self-contained with families choosing to play entire games themselves, rather than taking turns and allowing other viewers to participate.

We needed to create a structure that wouldn’t hurt participants if and when the structure toppled. Thus we created our jenga pieces out of cardboard boxes, which had the benefit of easy assembly, and a strong resemblance to the original jenga blocks. The individual boxes were sized at 24x8x4, so that when three blocks were laid next to each other it would form a square. Using 24 boxes, laid three per row for a total of 8 rows, gave the structure a height of 32 inches, a little over three feet.

We experimented first with a base of 20 inches, and when that proved too tall sized down to a 12 inches on the second day. This was extremely successful and allowed for 18 layers in total.