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.