rotating octagonal forms marked with community voices shape queens landmark

developed in collaboration with astoria houses residents, revolving voices combines interactive structures with etched poetry to create a public space that shifts between everyday gathering and community storytelling.

Urban Conga edited by christina vergopoulou October 6, 2026 4 min

Community voices inform waterfront Public landmark in Queens

Revolving Voices by The Urban Conga and local poet Tamra Cosby is a permanent public artwork and gathering space at Astoria Houses, a New York City public housing development in Queens. Located beside the Astoria waterfront and ferry dock, the installation brings community stories, memories, poetry, and imagery into a sculptural and interactive structure.

The project was developed through community engagement sessions with Cosby as part of From Roots to Arts: Celebrating NYCHA’s Cultural Heritage, an artist-in-residence program created by the Public Housing Community Fund and NYCHA. Residents shared memories, experiences, and ideas that informed both the physical design and the imagery and text embedded in the installation.

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 1
Revolving Voices features four rotating octagonal structures | all images ©Urban Conga

Rotating megaphone forms compose a changing public space

Taking the form of a megaphone, Revolving Voices by studio Urban Conga and poet Tamra Cosby consists of four large-scale octagonal structures arranged along the curve of a performance space and gradually decreasing in size. Their perforated metal exteriors depict people, activities, and stories from the Astoria Houses community, while the interiors feature etched messages, memories, and poetry by Cosby and other residents.

Each component can be manually rotated, changing the installation’s orientation and the views it frames. The structures can face outward toward the waterfront or turn inward toward Astoria Houses, creating different relationships between the artwork, its surroundings, and the community. The rotating forms also allow the installation to function as a set of portals, seating areas, and gathering spaces.

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 2
Revolving Voices serves not just as a visual work but as a functional gathering space for residents

Playable public artwork for everyday use and community events

Designed for both everyday use and community events, Revolving Voices supports sitting, climbing, exploring, performance, poetry, music, conversation, and reflection. By combining interactive structures with community-generated imagery and writing, the project turns a waterfront public space into a setting for gathering and storytelling.

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 3
inspired by the form of a megaphone, the octagonal structures metaphorically amplify and project the voices of the Astoria Houses community

‘By centering the voices, memories, and continued participation of residents, the work creates a place that feels rooted in the community and invites people to gather, engage, and connect,’ shares Ryan Swanson, Principal of Urban Conga.‘This piece reflects the idea that our voices may change over time, but they remain connected,’ adds artist Tamra Cosby.

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 4
the exterior perforated imagery celebrates the people, talents, and stories that make up the Astoria Houses community

‘The Connected Communities program places residents at the heart of the design process, ensuring that the art in our developments directly reflects the people who live there,’ says NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. ‘Revolving Voices reflects the stories and lived experiences of residents living at Astoria Houses, and tells the history of the community in a fun, interactive way,’ comments Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund.

revolving-voices-urban-conga-tamra-cosby-public-artwork-astoria-houses-ny-designboom-1800-2 — the artwork carries poetry and words of Resident Artist Tamra Cosby and the Astoria Houses community

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 11
the interior panels feature powerful messages, stories, and poetry from Tamra Cosby and other community members, created through community workshops

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 5
each unit rotates to be reoriented for different experiences within the space

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 7
a group of kids regulates and relaxes within the artwork

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 8
the movement of the artwork allows the community to make it theirs and adjust it as they want it to be set up

revolving-voices-urban-conga-tamra-cosby-public-artwork-astoria-houses-ny-designboom-1800-3 — the local Astoria dance team performs in front of the artwork

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 9
during community events, Revolving Voices creates as a backdrop for performance, music, conversation, and shared expression

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 10
the words in the artwork are cut out to create a textural moment, allowing people to literally feel the words within the work

urban conga turns community voices into an interactive public landmark 12
Revolving Voices sits at Hallet’s Cove overlooking the Manhattan skyline

project info:

name: Revolving Voices
designer: The Urban Conga | @theurbanconga

poet: Tamra Cosby | @tamranottamara

location: Queens, New York

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. See more project submissions from our readers here.