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Located on the edge of Astoria Houses, adjacent to the Astoria waterfront and ferry terminal, Revolving Voices is a permanent public art piece and community gathering space designed to present and celebrate the voices, talents, stories and cultural history of Astoria Houses residents. Created by The Urban Conga in collaboration with community poet Tamra Cosby, the installation uses a physical space to express the idea that everyone can share their voice, talents and perspectives in the public sphere.
Located at the edge of Astoria Houses, directly adjacent to the Astoria waterfront and ferry dock, Revolving Voices is a permanent public artwork and gathering space that celebrates the voices, talents, stories, and cultural histories of the Astoria Houses community. Created by The Urban Conga in collaboration with resident poet Tamra Cosby, the installation physically represents the opportunity to share one’s voice, talent, and message within the public realm.
▼Aerial view of the Installation © Ryan Swanson
▼Aerial view of the installation © Tameek Williams
▼Overview of the Installation © Charles Darr
▼Community gathering space, gathering space © Charles Darr
The project developed gradually through a series of community engagement activities. Resident artist Tamra Cosby works with community residents as part of From Roots to Arts: Celebrating NYCHA’s Cultural Heritage. “From Roots to Arts” is an artist residency program jointly launched by the Public Housing Community Fund and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). It aims to discover artists in NYCHA residential communities and cultivate a deeper sense of community identity through artistic creation. During the co-design process, community members shared their memories, experiences, and imaginations about the future of the space. This process shaped not only the physical design of the project, but also the stories and images contained within it, making this permanent piece truly rooted in the voices of the people who live here.
The project was developed through a series of community engagement sessions with Artist-inResidence Tamra Cosby as part of the From Roots to Arts: Celebrating NYCHA’s Cultural Heritage program. From Roots to Arts is an artist-in-residence program developed by the Public Housing Community Fund and NYCHA to highlight artists within NYCHA housing communities to create art and cultivate a deeper sense of community. Through the co-design process, community members shared their experiences, memories, and visions for the space. This process informed both the physical design as well as the stories and imagery embedded within it, creating a permanent piece rooted in the voices of those who live there.
▼ Cultivate a deeper sense of community identity, cultivate a deeper sense of community © Charles Darr
▼Cultivation of a deeper sense of community identity,
cultivate a deeper sense of community © Charles Darr
“Projects like ‘Revolving Voices’ demonstrate the power of transforming public spaces into vibrant centers filled with community pride and shared history,” said NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “The Connected Communities project puts residents at the center of the design process, ensuring that art in our communities directly reflects the people who live here. Thank you to the Public Housing Community Fund, The Urban Conga, and the residents of Astoria Uptown for their collaboration and vision.”
“Projects like Revolving Voices demonstrate the power of transforming public spaces into vibrant hubs of community pride and shared history,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “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. We are grateful to the Public Housing Community Fund, The Urban Conga, and the Astoria Houses residents for their partnership and shared vision.”
▼Places residents at the heart of the design process © Tameek Williams
▼Large-scale, octagonal forms © Tameek Williams
▼Encourages people to gather, climb, sit here, encourages people to gather, climb, sit here © Tameek Williams
▼from people playing, to dancing, to engaging © Tameek Williams
The design of “Revolving Voices” is inspired by a loudspeaker – an object used to amplify and spread sound. The project reinterprets this symbol, transforming it into a series of large-scale octagonal structures that gradually decrease in scale, arranged along the arc of the surrounding performance space. Together, these structures form a sculptural and playable landscape where people are encouraged to gather, climb, sit, explore, perform and think. The overall loudspeaker-like form is split into four separate components, each with an image perforated into the outer shell. Seen from afar, the images depict the people, talents, and stories that make up the Uptown Astoria community, including scenes of people playing, dancing, and participating in protests. As the visitor gets closer, another layer of the installation becomes apparent. Powerful words, stories, memories and poems created by Cosby and other community members are displayed inside the structure, etched directly into the metal panels. Visitors can sit inside the structure and surround themselves with the sounds of the community on a physical level.
Taking inspiration from the form of a megaphone, an object designed to amplify and project a voice, Revolving Voices reimagines this symbol as a series of large-scale, octagonal forms that follow the curve of the surrounding performance space, gradually decreasing in size. Together, the structures create a sculptural and playable landscape that encourages people to gather, climb, sit, explore, perform, and reflect. The megaphone-like form is broken into four distinct components, each displaying perforated imagery across its outer shell. Viewed from a distance, these images depict the people, talents, and stories that make up the Astoria Houses community, from people playing, to dancing, to protesting. As visitors move closer, another layer of the installation is revealed. The interiors display powerful messages, stories, memories, and poetry from Cosby and other community members, etched directly into the metal panels. Visitors can sit within the structures and become physically surrounded by the voices of their community.
▼from people playing, to dancing, to engaging © Tameek Williams
“Revolving Voices reflects the stories and real-life experiences of the residents of Uptown Astoria and tells the history of the community in a fun and interactive way,” said Alex Zablocki, executive director of the Public Housing Community Fund. “These art installations serve as megaphones to the city, giving residents a voice to express themselves and providing them with the opportunity to welcome others into their community. ‘From Roots to Arts’ has created a unique opportunity to connect residents with local artists and help them unleash their creativity into works of art and related events. This new installation showcases the best of Astoria while creating a friendly and relaxing environment that the community can enjoy for many years to come. Congratulations to Tamra, The Urban Conga, and more importantly, all the residents whose creativity and commitment made this project a reality.”
“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,” said Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund. Astoria while creating a welcoming and relaxing environment that the community can enjoy for years to come. Congratulations to Tamra, The Urban Conga, and, most importantly, the residents whose creativity and dedication helped make this project a reality.”
▼from people playing, to dancing, to engaging © Tameek Williams
All four components can be manually rotated by the user, allowing the device’s orientation in space to continuously change. As the structures rotate, they frame different views of Astoria and create new relationships between the installation, the waterfront, and the Uptown Astoria community. Structures can be turned outward toward the water and the wider public, inviting visitors passing by the waterfront to stop, hear and understand the story of the community behind them; or they can be turned inward, creating spaces that are more intimate and connected to the Uptown Astoria community. The ability to rotate keeps the entire installation in constant flux. Communities can continually reshape the relationship between structures and their surroundings, transforming these loudspeaker-like forms into “portals” that frame new perspectives, encouraging visitors to re-see the neighborhood from different angles. “Revolving Voices” thus expresses the idea that the stories of communities are not static, but constantly transform, grow and evolve with the people who participate in them.
Each of the four components can be manually rotated by users, allowing the installation to continually change its orientation within the space. As the forms turn, they frame different views of Astoria and create new relationships between the installation, the waterfront, and the Astoria Houses community. to rotate creates an installation that is ever-changing. The community can continually reshape how the structure sits within its environment, transforming the megaphone-like forms into portals that frame new perspectives and encourage visitors to see the neighborhood from different points of view. Revolving Voices reflects the idea that a community’s story is not static, but that it continues to shift, grow, and evolve with the people who contribute to it.
▼It continues to shift, grow, and evolve with the people who contribute to it © Tameek Williams
“As an artist and resident, creating Revolving Voices gave me the opportunity to revisit Uptown Astoria—not only as a place where I live, but as a place filled with history, creativity, relationships, and possibility. This work expresses the idea that our voices may change over time, but they are always connected. Everything we contribute today becomes part of the story and will be carried forward by another person tomorrow,” said artist Tamra Cosby.
“As an artist and a resident, creating Revolving Voices gave me the opportunity to look at Astoria Houses not only as a place where I live, but as a place filled with history, creativity, relationships, and possibility. This piece reflects the idea that our voices may change over time, but they remain connected. What we contribute today becomes part of the story that someone else carries forward tomorrow,” said artist Tamra Cosby
▼A place filled with history, creativity, relationships, and possibility © Tameek Williams
The design of “Revolving Voices” not only serves daily life, but can also host larger-scale collective activities. It also assumes multiple roles such as public art works, playable structures, seating spaces, performance venues and narrative media. Residents can sit inside the structure and think quietly, gather with friends, or encounter stories and memories from the neighborhood. During community events, the surrounding space can become a place for poetry, music, performance, communication and shared expression. Revolving Voices creates a space for the Uptown Astoria community to perform, talk, listen and think. By placing the voices and creative expressions of residents at the heart of an important public space, the project invites the community and the wider public to ask: Who can be heard? Whose stories will be represented? How can public space become a platform for collective expression? The result is a landmark shaped by the community’s voices, memories, and ongoing engagement.
Revolving Voices is designed to support both everyday moments and larger collective gatherings, acting as a public artwork, playable structure, seating area, performance space, and storytelling device. Residents might sit inside the forms for quiet reflection, gather with friends, or encounter stories and memories from their neighbors. During community events, the surrounding space can become a setting for poetry, music, performance, conversation, and shared expression. Revolving Voices creates a space for the Astoria Houses community to perform, converse, listen, and reflect. By placing the voices and creative expressions of residents at the center of a prominent public space, the project invites both the community and the broader public to consider who gets to be heard, whose stories are represented, and how public space can become a platform for collective expression. The result is a landmark shaped by the voices, memories, and continued participation of the community.
▼Creating a space where you can perform, talk, listen and think,
become a setting for poetry, music, performance, conversation, and shared expression © Tameek Williams
“Revolving Voices was created to transform a once underutilized, walk-through space into a welcoming and open community landmark that reflects the identity and spirit of the Uptown Astoria community. By placing residents’ voices, memories, and ongoing engagement at the heart of the project, the work creates a place that is truly rooted in the community and invites people to gather, interact, and connect,” said Ryan Swanson, Principal at Urban Conga.
“Revolving Voices was created to transform a once-underutilized pass-through space into a welcoming communal landmark that reflects the identity and spirit 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,” said Ryan Swanson, Principal of Urban Conga.
▼Detail, detail © Tameek Williams
“Working with local poet Tamra Cosby and the Astoria Uptown community, this piece ultimately became an interactive experience that transcended the physical space experience—it became both an opportunity for conversation and a reflection of the many different stories and perspectives within the community,” said Maeghann Coleman, director of Urban Conga.
“Working alongside local poet Tamra Cosby and the Astoria Houses community shaped the work into an interaction that extends beyond the physical experience into a prompt for conversation and a reflection of the many stories and perspectives within the community,” said Maeghann Coleman, Principal of Urban Conga.
▼Floor plan, plan © Urban Conga
▼elevation © Urban Conga
Project Name: Revolving Voices
Lead Designers: Tamra Cosby; Maeghann Coleman and Ryan Swanson, The Urban Conga
Additional Designers: Alden Copley, Pramity Shah
Initiative: Public Housing Community Fund – From Roots to Arts: Celebrating NYCHA’s Cultural Heritage program
Partners: Public Housing Community Fund, NYCHA, and The Urban Conga
Completion Date: August 2026
Dimensions: Approx. 140SF, Four pieces ranging 4′-8” to 7’-8” DIA. x 4’-8” to 7’-8” H
Project Location: NYCHA Astoria Houses at 4-25 Astoria Blvd, Astoria, NY 11102
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