A Cappella Installation Reflects 100 Years
of Jacksonville Music

by hanna_kowal | June 8, 2026 1:37 pm

[1]Creating music playlists of beloved local classics was an integral part of the design process for A Cappella, a new landmark in the Jacksonville Riverfront Music Garden[2].

A single, continuous line of powder-coated aluminum weaves windows and platforms into a circular structure, framing different portions of the landscape and four sections of grids. These grids make up the interactive art piece: spinnable units, each side bearing an individual lyric or longer verse, embossed on dichroic and reflective panels.

An enduring material, aluminum measures up to the climate requirements of an outdoor permanent fixture in Florida, able to withstand extreme heat and storm conditions.[3]

When it came to the voice and expression of this Floridian fixture, Ryan Swanson says, “We didn’t want to be the ones to shape that. We wanted to make sure that was coming from the community at large.”

Swanson is a principal and firm lead at The Urban Conga[4], which served as the design, fabrication, and installation firm for the project.

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Reimagining client consultation, the design team held workshops with the locals that emphasized play, and from this emerged a collection of songs that represent the voices of Jacksonville spanning the last century. The spinning, shimmering lyric units deconstruct 84 songs by more than 60 local artists. Amongst the artists are Ray Charles, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and Shinedown, whose music careers launched in the city.

As for the squiggling architectural aluminum form, with guidance from the Jacksonville Symphony, four movements of a symphony determined its shape.[6]

In the center of the fixture sits a circular bench with integrated embossed text that tells the story of the installation, and by extension that of the symphony, city, and community. Swanson explains that the seat “serves as a conductor to the rest of the work, where you can sit and curate your experience.”

A Cappella’s design transcends the initial concept of its namesake, creating music that fits its definition—unaccompanied by instrumentals—and is silent itself. Through its thoughtful design process and powerful execution, this sculptural landmark celebrates the Jacksonville community’s sound.

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/news/silent-music-a-cappella/

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