Miami Design District presents Rock | Roll by Germane Barnes
Miami-based architect Germane Barnes has been awarded the 2022 Miami Design District Annual Neighborhood Commission. His multi-scale installation, Rock | Roll, draws on the vibrant visual language of Miami Carnival to honor the BIPOC communities that have substantially contributed to Miami’s polyethnic culture. For the neighborhood’s central pedestrian corridors, Barnes has designed a series of larger-than-life seating capsules that rock back-and-forth when activated by users, as well as hundreds of brightly hued wind chimes. Fabricated by ALT BLD, Rock | Roll also includes an architectural-scale, free-floating dome that recalls a giant disco ball, marking an outdoor gathering space to host Carnival-inspired playlists and a talks series developed in collaboration with University of Miami’s Center for Global Black Studies and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami.