Tampa Museum Design Unveiled

By ELLEN GEDALIUS The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 11, 2007

TAMPA - As architect Stanley Saitowitz unveiled his designs for a new Tampa Museum of Art, the excitement in the board room was palpable.

With good reason: The moment was seven years in the making.

For an hour Thursday afternoon, all of the turmoil of the past several years - the fundraising troubles, the arguments between the mayor and museum leaders, the doubts about whether a new building ever would be built - seemed to dissolve.

All eyes focused on the San Francisco architect and his design for a building along the Hillsborough River, at the northern edge of Curtis Hixon Park.

Just before Saitowitz began his presentation, museum board Chairwoman Cornelia Corbett set the tone.

"It's kind of a big moment," she said.

Saitowitz explained his vision: a building that complements the water, is modern and features garden space and includes an interior courtyard that opens to the sky.

He said he envisions the museum to be 58 feet tall, the same height as the adjacent parking garage.

It will be divided between two buildings: One will be two stories, with a spacious lobby and a museum store at the bottom level. The lobby will be transparent and look out on the river, the University of Tampa and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

The upper level will be devoted to gallery space, featuring polished stone floors, white walls and a glass ceiling with track lighting. A separate gallery will be devoted to the museum's glass collection.

The second building, which will be three stories, will include shipping and receiving areas, storage and exhibition preparation rooms and administrative offices.

An outdoor sculpture garden will overlook the river.

Saitowitz became animated as he talked about the potential for the roof.

"It would be a really amazing party space," Saitowitz said. "It's just such an amazing prospect."

The rooftop will be considered a green roof, meaning it will be environmentally friendly and flush with plants.

The exterior of the building would be wrapped in expanded metal. Fiber optic lights will be embedded between the layers.

The lights could be programmed to change color, or an artist could work with them to create a design.

"I wanted to make this a wall of intrigue and discovery," Saitowitz said.

Those in attendance clearly were awed.

"You have blown me out of the water," museum board member Sara Richter told the architect. "This was worth waiting for."

The museum hopes to raise $25 million within the next two years. Museum officials will not say how much they have raised, but records reviewed by the Tribune last month show they have pledges for $5.1 million and $1.7 million in cash.

The city will contribute $17.5 million in Community Investment Tax money.

Plans call for the architect to design 120,000 square feet of building space, spread over two phases. The buildings for the first phase, unveiled Thursday, are a combined 68,000 square feet.

The museum has enough money now to build about 50,000 square feet, Corbett said, but hopes to raise enough to build the full 120,000 square feet someday.

"We are achieving that vision," Corbett said. "We will build what we can afford - no more, no less."

After Saitowitz's presentation, the museum's building committee burst into applause. The group then unanimously passed a motion endorsing the designs. Again, applause followed.

Corbett threw her arms into the air and shouted, "Woo!"

Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedalius@tampatrib.com.