Orlando, FL | Tampa, FL | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Located at the intersection of N. Ola Avenue and W. Oak Avenue, the site offers unique conditions; it acts as a connector, a starting point to the City of Tampa's Riverwalk and it hosts a historic building.
Included in the scope of the project are a marina, a public space and the adaptive re-use of the existing industrial heritage building, the Tampa Armature Works (The Trolley Barn) which is rich in detail, structure and spatial qualities.
The tower is organized around a central garden that brings the city together at the ground level and becoming more private as it rises to the sky. Vertical and horizontal circulations, as well as the units, are connected visually and spatially to this main space, creating [an integration of] community through public spaces.
Each level of the tower features outdoor terraces, both public and private, and is connected to the multi-story central garden, fully integrating the interior of the units with natural elements of the exterior environment. These garden spaces provide a shaded area for relaxation and socialization, creating community. Natural light is abundant while projections on the façade shade the units below. Green courtyards vary from being publicly accessible to more private and intimate, so that each part of the building creates its own unique identity, they become a common space for all units, allowing for life, play and gathering; becoming entry gardens, balconies and courtyards.
As a response to the site, the towers geometry changes in order to allow good views to all the units, which are designed to have both north and south exposure. As the tower touches the ground and meets the existing Trolley Barn building, it shifts to the west area of the site, lowers in scale and becomes landscape connecting to the Tampa Riverwalk project. At this scale, the existing building becomes a public space that serves the market, the artists' spaces, and the residents of the city of Tampa.
Status: Competition Entry
Location: Tampa, FL, US