Playable art is public art that people are invited to use: to sit in, swing on, climb or make sound with. The Urban Conga, a design studio based in Brooklyn, New York, is one of the best-known studios working this way. At The Bay Park in Sarasota, Florida, it installed two pieces on the waterfront in 2022: Portal, a looped swing that frames the sunset, and Drum Coral, a set of tuned drums shaped like coral. This article looks at both works and at what it takes to build art that the public plays with every day.
This is an independent appreciation. Elite Fixtures did not design, fabricate or install these works. They are by The Urban Conga, and the photographs are courtesy of the studio.
At a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Works | Portal and Drum Coral (also called Coral) |
| Studio | The Urban Conga, Brooklyn, New York |
| Location | The Bay Park, 777 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida |
| Installed | 2022, during construction of the park's second phase |
| Client | The Bay Conservancy |
| Park landscape architect | Agency Landscape + Planning |
| Portal | Stainless steel structure with a Kebony wood seat lining; about 8 × 8 × 8 ft; seats four to five people |
| Drum Coral | Recycled aluminum with a powder-coat finish; about 10 × 10 × 3 ft |
The studio
The Urban Conga was founded by Ryan Swanson in 2015 and grew out of his master's thesis on bringing life to underused public spaces. The studio is now led by Swanson and Maeghann Coleman and designs, fabricates and installs its own work. Its projects use play to get strangers talking to each other, and in 2021 it was named an Architizer A+ Firm of the Year for small projects.
Portal: a swing that frames the bay
Portal is a pair of interlocking loops holding a curved, swinging bench. Sit in it facing the water and the bench sways gently, so you feel as if you are floating over Sarasota Bay. At sunset, the sun drops inside the ring. The curved seat has room for four or five people, which is the point: it is a piece you end up sharing.
Drum Coral: a reef you can play
Drum Coral is inspired by the coral reefs off the Sarasota coast. Each branch ends in a drum tuned to a different pitch, played by hand like a conga. Smaller coral pieces around it act as seats and can be played too. The drums sit at different heights and spacings so that children, adults and wheelchair users can all reach them, and the studio describes the piece as a place for spontaneous jam sessions.
Both works also carry a message. The studio designed them to look as if they had washed up on the shore, and to start conversations about climate change and rising seas on Florida's coast.
What goes into building playable art
We build playable and sculptural metal pieces, so we look at works like these from the fabrication side. The published information says what they are made of but not how they were engineered, so the points below are general to this kind of work, not a description of these two pieces.
Material choice starts with the site
A waterfront in Florida means salt air, strong sun and heavy use. The Urban Conga chose stainless steel for Portal's structure and powder-coated aluminum for Drum Coral. Both resist corrosion, and aluminum keeps a large sculptural piece lighter. For steel in salt air, fabricators usually look at 316 stainless rather than 304, because its added molybdenum resists chloride pitting.
Moving parts need more care than static ones
A swing is a moving load. The pivots, bearings and hangers on a swinging seat see repeated stress every day, so they are designed with a generous margin, made easy to inspect and replace, and kept clear of places where fingers could be pinched.
Sound is a design parameter
Tuned drums have to hold their pitch outdoors. That affects the drum body, the head material and how the drum is mounted, since a stiff mount can deaden the sound and a loose one will rattle.
Everything people touch must be safe to touch
On playable art, every edge, fastener and gap is a potential hazard. Edges are rounded, fasteners are hidden or tamper-resistant, and gaps are kept out of the ranges where fingers or heads can get trapped. Many owners review playable art against the same principles they use for playground equipment.
If you are commissioning playable art
- Bring the community in early. The Urban Conga's pieces came out of community engagement during the park's design. That is why they fit.
- Pick materials for the site. Coastal, road-salt and high-UV sites each call for different metals and coatings.
- Design moving parts for inspection. Pivots and bearings should be easy to check and replace.
- Agree on safety standards before fabrication. Decide with your consultants whether play-equipment standards apply.
Elite Fixtures fabricates playable and sculptural stainless steel pieces from designs supplied by artists and design studios. For another playable work, see our article on Orange Functional in Toronto's Biidaasige Park.
FAQ
What is playable art?
Playable art is public art designed to be used, not only looked at: people sit in it, swing on it, climb it or make sound with it. The Urban Conga's Portal swing and Drum Coral drums at The Bay Park in Sarasota are examples. Playable art is built to the durability and safety standards of play equipment as well as to an artist's design.
Who is The Urban Conga?
The Urban Conga is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Brooklyn, New York, founded by Ryan Swanson in 2015 and now led by Swanson and Maeghann Coleman. The studio designs, fabricates and installs playable public art, and it was named an Architizer A+ Firm of the Year for small projects in 2021.
What are Portal and Drum Coral made of?
Portal has a recyclable stainless steel structure with a seat lined in Kebony wood, and it measures about 8 × 8 × 8 feet. Drum Coral is made of recyclable aluminum with a powder-coat finish, about 10 × 10 × 3 feet. Both materials were chosen to last on a salty, sunny Florida waterfront.
Where is The Bay Park in Sarasota?
The Bay Park is on Sarasota's bayfront at 777 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida. The park is run by The Bay Conservancy and was designed by Agency Landscape + Planning. The Urban Conga's Portal and Drum Coral sit along the bay walk, facing the water.
Sources
- The Bay, The Urban Conga
- A series of playable art installations activate revitalized waterfront park, v2com press kit
- Playable art installations in a waterfront park by The Urban Conga, gooood
- About The Urban Conga
- The Urban Conga recognized as an Architizer A+ Firm of the Year, University of South Florida
About this article
Elite Fixtures was not involved in creating Portal or Drum Coral. We wrote this piece as an appreciation of the works and an explainer on the craft behind playable art. Photographs are courtesy of The Urban Conga and are shown with permission.
Interested in working with The Urban Conga? Contact the studio through theurbanconga.com. Elite Fixtures is a fabrication partner: we build work that artists and designers have already designed, and we don't create original artworks or make reproductions of existing ones. If you have your own concept for a playable piece, talk to our team about fabrication.
