4 Architectural Firms To Make Art Museum Proposals
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Published: Nov 7, 2006

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TAMPA - The Tampa Museum of Art's building committee decided Tuesday to invite four architectural firms to town to pitch proposals for a new building.

The tentative date for the presentations is Nov. 29. The interviews will be open to the public, and the museum intends to make a special effort to invite especially generous donors to attend the presentations.

The four firms, selected from a list of more than 100, are Charles Rose Architects of Somerville, Mass.; Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York City; Stanley Saitowitz of San Francisco; and Polshek Partnership of New York City.

Last week, the building committee also decided to consider Williams and Tsien, but the firm has since said it cannot build a museum in the timeframe and price range needed by Tampa's leaders.

The selected firm will develop phase one of a new museum building, estimated at about 60,000 square feet. The construction budget will be about $25 million, including $17.5 million from the city. A second phase might be built years later.

Ellen Gedalius

deja vu

I think this time something will come through, but why the low budget for such an important project?

I think this time something will come through, but why the low budget for such an important project?

Because the city is paying...

^which is fine with me... Let the donors contribute their money to buying something worth displaying within the new museum... I've seen what they've got now at the old one... And trust me, it ain't worth much.

Most definitely. They do have one of the most famous collections of Mesopotamian art, iirc. Not that a bunch of dirty pots is a big draw... but still! Heh. I'd like to see the city pay for top of the line facilities that will draw bigger traveling expos and the donors go after more art, too.

^^ The city has already wasted $7 million dollars for the last set of architect's drawings that were scrapped earlier this year. That wasted money came right out of the city's budget for the museum.

Here is an idea.... tear the old crappy museum down and design a building that takes its inspiration from the University of Tampa. Not everything has to be modern and different.

As for their collection, I was embarrassed when I took friends from out of town to the museum.

Low budget for construction is due to no real endowment for operations / purchases and a mediocre collection at best.

I still wish that the children's museum and history museum initiative had been merged with this one to make one quality museum complex... And then if/when the museum's grow in time, any one of the three museums could be peeled off to make their own stand alone museum somewhere else DT, making more space for the remaining tenants.

And I still still feel quite strongly that Curtis Hixon Park/Kiley Gardens area should be either fully developed to focus on the riverwalk (with a nice plaza and fountain allowing for a view corridor from Ashley to the river/UT), or should be totally cleared of all structures to make one big, useful park.

I am going to be making good use of Curtis Hixon Park on thursday.

Incase anyone is interested.....

Citizens, architects invited to meet with museum architect
Tampa Bay Business Journal - 12:04 PM EST Monday

The Tampa Museum of Art will host a public forum with architect Stanley Saitowitz to give citizens a chance to share ideas about what should be considered when designing a new art museum.

The forum will be on Jan. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the current museum location, 600 N. Ashley Drive.

A second forum with Saitowitz will be held on Feb. 1 with the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects. This forum is geared toward the architectural community. AIA members will have the opportunity to discuss their profession, share ideas about the new museum and learn more about Saitowitz.

The museum's board of trustees recently chose the San Francisco architect to design the new art museum. It will be located downtown in Curtis Hixon Park and is slated to open in late 2008 or early 2009. Phase one of the 120,000-square-foot master plan will consist of approximately 60,000 square feet.

Funding for the new facility will come from public and private sectors. The City of Tampa has allocated $18.5 million of Community Investment Tax Funds for the new facility and demolition of the existing building. Additional money is being generated by the museum through a capital fundraising initiative.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2007/01/22/daily2.html

I wish I could go, but I have work. Maybe I can find a email address or contact and give my imput.

I have seen all his proposals and liked two of them. The only I wanted to know is, will there me enough room to incorporate a extension of the trolley system and I'm guessing a station and what outdoor features will there be? Also, what paintings do you want or have planned for the museum? What will you do for the RiverWalk?

Where did you see proposals for the museum?

Did a google image search on Stanley Saitowitz and the few results returned looked ok, if you visit his flash based website you can see a wider array of what he has done. http://www.saitowitz.com/

Some good stuff, some meh stuff. Y'all be the judge.

I'm pretty sure that I will go to the public forum next week.

Yep, I just RSVPed with the AIA for their forum, so I will be going to both now. I'm going to do a little write up on the happenings...

So, for anyone who has a question for the architect about the project, let loose, and I'll see if I can get an answer.

^^^

I wish I could go, but I have work. Maybe I can find a email address or contact and give my imput.

I have seen all his proposals and liked two of them. The only I wanted to know is, will there me enough room to incorporate a extension of the trolley system and I'm guessing a station and what outdoor features will there be? Also, what paintings do you want or have planned for the museum? What will you do for the RiverWalk?

Jason, when/where is the forum? If it's after hours, I might schedule a stop, too with a few friends.

Jason, when/where is the forum? If it's after hours, I might schedule a stop, too with a few friends.

The forum will be on Jan. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the current museum location, 600 N. Ashley Drive.

^^ The city has already wasted $7 million dollars for the last set of architect's drawings that were scrapped earlier this year. That wasted money came right out of the city's budget for the museum.

Here is an idea.... tear the old crappy museum down and design a building that takes its inspiration from the University of Tampa. Not everything has to be modern and different.

As for their collection, I was embarrassed when I took friends from out of town to the museum.

I like emulating the look and feel of UT right there on the water..

By the way, where do you get your $7 million figure? You are exagerating for effect - right? If not I have some architectural drawings I want to sell the city - :)

Off topic somewhat.

I would love for the developer or anyone to come up with a great designed pedestrain bridge linking the new museum to UofT. Something like the Millenium Bridge in London, but more artsy if so.

By the way, where do you get your $7 million figure? You are exagerating for effect - right? If not I have some architectural drawings I want to sell the city - :)No, that's how much they paid Vinoli's firm.

Does anyone know what they will do with the current, ehem miniscule, collection when they tear down the current building? Will it be at the cube building next to the sykes building?

Maybe I'm putting the cart before the horse here.

Does anyone know what they will do with the current, ehem miniscule, collection when they tear down the current building? Will it be at the cube building next to the sykes building?

Maybe I'm putting the cart before the horse here.

My guess is that "collection" (if you can call it that) would simply be moved into the new museum when construction is over. While construction is underway, depending on the new building's new positioning on the lot, the current museum may still be able to stay open.

^^ I don't even know what to say about that ($7 million)

The forum will be on Jan. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the current museum location, 600 N. Ashley Drive.

I scoured the original article at least a half dozen times looking for that. I knew I'd seen it somewhere. :lol:

Thanks.

My guess is that "collection" (if you can call it that) would simply be moved into the new museum when construction is over. While construction is underway, depending on the new building's new positioning on the lot, the current museum may still be able to stay open.

I the old museum will have to be demolished for the park site because it is in the way of the water and the new restaurant and terraces.

so, did anyone go tonight?

so, did anyone go tonight?

No I didn't, how was it Jason? I'm curious to see this guy's plans.:)

No I didn't, how was it Jason? I'm curious to see this guy's plans.:)

Ditto on the question.

My brother caught an early flight to visit us - business finished up a day early, so I had to run out to TIA to catch him. He could visit us, or spend a weekend in godforsaken Cincinatti. :lol: He chose Florida. :-P

he didn't show plans, that will be in 60 days.

This was for the public to offer input into the design process before it's actually designed, see what his body of work looks like, and hear his early vision for the museum.

Do they have a date set for the next meeting?I would love to attend.

Jason, what was your opinion of the input from the public? Anything noteworthy?

Yeah, there were a few people with good questions. Considering the number of people I didn't know who came up to me afterwards asking who I was and what architecture firm I worked for (lololol), I think I was one of them.

(I asked questions about how he would solve the need to make the facility scalable (indicated he will likely pursue a vertical solution), how the facility would address the hideousness of the Poe Garage and railroad tracks/bridge to the north (he had no idea yet), and how he would address the the immense public pressure he will surely face during the process.

The general theme of the questions centered around how the museum would interact with its surroundings (the riverwalk, children's museum and especially the redesigned park), how it would maintain a human scale (so that the TMoA's more diminutive works wouldn't be overwhelmed by the facility), and how it would go about visually drawing people to it and generating interest.

^^A vertical solution is an interesting idea had never really thought of for our art museum. I think it would be apropriate considering the buildings around where the museum would be, and also so it doesn't get "lost" while encouraging density. Also I guess it would free up land for the park.

mind you, by vertical, I'm pretty sure that he's talking like 3, maybe 4 floors. We're not talking about a form like the Guggenheim in Guadalajara or anything.

and as folks can see, I didn't go to the forum Saitowitz was having today for the AIA, which is the one that I really wanted to go to. I got stuck at work, and only just got home a few minutes ago.

mind you, by vertical, I'm pretty sure that he's talking like 3, maybe 4 floors. We're not talking about a form like the Guggenheim in Guadalajara or anything.



Yea I agree with just 3 or 4 floors. I don't even think Tampa would have enough art or demand to justify anything taller for a while. Not just the extra space you would have, but the cost of building more vertical. I just think our current 1 story museum is overly dwarfed and doesn't promote a denser downtown.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/01/Hillsborough/New_art_museum_a_toug.shtml

I also asked the first question mentioned about the "rather miserable challenge".

^^ Nice work, Jason! :okay:

I'll bet you've got him thinking even harder about how he plans to have his design fit in with the surroundings he's left to work with.

I seriously doubt that, but thank you...

Wow.

So, this is off topic, but I'm upset that I couldn't go now. I'm crossing my fingers to get into UC, Berkeley... and this guy happens to be Tampa's latest art museum architect AND an arch professor there? I'm depressed that I couldn't go, to be honest...

Very solid questions, Jason. This should be interesting.

You definitely should have gone. I recognized a few people there who are or recently were USF arch students.

It was an interesting mix of people, but it was mostly museum donors , local officials and local architects/developers.

Nice mention of the site in the paper (although it's misspelled as "Skyscapercity.com, missing the r). I did not expect that. As for the article itself - pretty interesting. I just hope the city can finally pull this thing together. The whole situation's been a nightmare...

Nice mention of the site in the paper (although it's misspelled as "Skyscapercity.com, missing the r). I did not expect that. As for the article itself - pretty interesting. I just hope the city can finally pull this thing together. The whole situation's been a nightmare...

I wonder if the site can expect any extra traffic with its mention in the paper? Have we noticed any?

I doubt it... It would have helped if the nice fellow at the St Pete Times had spelled the site's name correctly.

Art Museum About To Get Us Boxed In

By STEVE OTTO

Published: Feb 4, 2007


I saw it coming seconds before it hit. I recognized the guy in the back of the room wearing the T-shirt that read, "If idiots grew on trees, this place would be an orchard." It was the same person who shows up at council and commission hearings and tells them they are all idiots for building buildings that are not energy efficient.

Basically, he's right, but his people skills could use a little work.

They were passing the microphone around in the room inside the Tampa Art Museum where the hundred or so people had gathered to hear Stanley Saitowitz talk about the new museum he has been selected to design.

It was mostly an artsy crowd, with a sprinkling of media and politicians, so Saitowitz got a friendly reception after Mayor Pam Iorio introduced him. At least it was a friendly until the guy with the T-shirt got hold of the microphone.

"You people are fools," he began, immediately endearing himself to everyone. "Every single thing he showed you tonight [talking about Saitowiz's slide show of his work] has contributed to global warming. This is fraud."

He would have said a few more things, but they quickly got the microphone back. This was not what this crowd wanted to hear.

Saitowitz is the Tampa art crowd's solution to the $11 million disaster of the last internationally known designer the city brought in, who wanted to put up something that was a cross between a bus shelter and an aircraft carrier.

Saitowitz is none of that. The San Francisco architectural designer does not go in for monumental statements. In fact, he spent most of his time telling his audience he was more interested in function than form. He sees his product as more of a container for art than art itself.

About Those Turrets
And if you go to his Web site and look at what the guy has put up in recent years, the truth is, concrete and glass boxes come to mind. He does say he is going to make it all come together and fit the location, although I got a little concerned when he mentioned that building with the turrets across the river. I guess he was talking about the minarets, but you never know.

Not that it is going to be a cheap box. The city has promised to cough up $18.5 million out of its Community Investment Tax for the project, which will be constructed in two phases.

But a box is a box, and if you consider what it is going to represent to the city, think about these things.

Art is a big deal. When they turn out those surveys on quality of life in cities or when corporations look at places to relocate, right up near the top of the list is an area's cultural life. We look respectable only because it's not that far to St. Petersburg.

Who We Are
The new art museum, along with the new park that will surround it and lead out to the new Riverwalk, is going to be the defining landmark in Tampa for years to come. Maybe a box is what we want.

This is, after all, Tampa, and we're not building a football stadium here, so we need to remember our priorities.

We need something that says something about who we are and what our aspirations might be. Maybe what we need is a container box, even if it does cost a few million bucks. If it looks too plain, we could always put a neon football on top of the building - an orange one.

http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBSCJF0RXE.html

^Not surprising to see Otto parade the comments of the one person in the room who has less appreciation for architecture than him...

Whi is this nutty guy? What a freaking fool. I don't care if council meetings or forums are "open to the public" this lunatic needs to be banned from stepping in. Put up some signs or fliers saying there is a crazy man loose and WATCH OUT!.

ON Topic. I don't care if it is a box. It is only 4 stories and not be a eyesore. And he has a small space to work with, so also working on a park and the Riverwalk, you can't blame him. Design shouldn't be a worry either, I have seen his projects and most look great, some you must twist your head to figure out what it is, but most are amazing.

I think that something odd and a little quirky is what downtown is what we need. Tampas buildings are very straight forward and leave little to the imagination. I would love to see something weird and a little tacky.

Tacky? No thanks. Fluid is ok, though. :-P

I'm not sure banning the loon is the democratic thing to do, either.... heh

ON Topic. I don't care if it is a box. It is only 4 stories and not be a eyesore.
There is no indication that this will be 4 stories. At least not that I know of...

Tampa museums consider joining forces
Tampa Bay Business Journal - 2:25 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007

The Tampa Museum of Art and the New Children's Museum of Tampa are considering a collaboration.

Leadership of both museums have begun a dialogue to weigh the benefits of working together in areas of mutual benefits and concerns, according to a release from the Tampa Museum of Art.


Possible areas of collaboration include the design of shared spaces, educational programming and fundraising activities, Raymond Ifert, president of the Tampa Museum of Art's Foundation, said in the release.

Both museums are planning to build new facilities that would be located in Curtis Hixon Park, adjacent to the Poe Garage in downtown Tampa.

The Tampa Museum of Art hired architect Stanley Saitowitz from San Francisco to design its new museum, slated to open in late 2008 or early 2009. The city of Tampa has allocated $18.5 million of Community Investment Tax Funds and a capital fundraising initiative will generate additional money for the project.

The Children's Museum of Tampa hired Gould Evans Associates of Tampa to design its new museum, which is expected to open in late 2009. A capital funding campaign is underway to build the 45,000-square-foot facility.

The possible collaboration comes about two months after Al Najjar was appointed director of the Children's Museum. He currently serves as president and CEO of the SciPort Discover Center in Shreveport, La., and will begin work in Tampa by April, the release said.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2007/02/05/daily33.html?surround=lfn

Some shared design elements, as well as common educational facilities, makes for the best use of space and cohesiveness. I really wish the Poe Garage could be leveled. There is no reason to save it - integrate the parking into a new design, please.

Some shared design elements, as well as common educational facilities, makes for the best use of space and cohesiveness. I really wish the Poe Garage could be leveled. There is no reason to save it - integrate the parking into a new design, please.


I agree 100%. It is horrible planning to have a parking garage on your waterfront. The garage should be leveled and turned into a park or a major section of the riverwalk with some added retail. Of course it may never happen considering they put those nets on the ceiling that's being called art.

Does anyone have any pics of the parking garage?, renderings?..I'd like to see what exactly is being talked about, cause def if its anywhere near the waterfront, it should incorporate some kind of retail or open public space for entertainment.

Does anyone have any pics of the parking garage?, renderings?..I'd like to see what exactly is being talked about, cause def if its anywhere near the waterfront, it should incorporate some kind of retail or open public space for entertainment.

It's just North of the current museum. Looks terrible and is on prime land. Here's a look (http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&z=19&ll=27.949919,-82.462054&spn=0.001569,0.001953&t=k&om=1) on Google Maps. Can't get a good idea of what it looks like from the above view, but you can at least see the area.

That's interesting that the museums are considering working jointly now... I raised that issue to several relevant people at the forum, and they all looked at me with a blank look on their face like, "duh! I never thought of that!"...

I can't help but wonder if my yapping had an impact?

I'm all for downing the Poe Garage, although there is the case that there isn't much in the way of parking in N. Downtown anymore. I think it is interesting how the train tracks go through the garage (I've lived here my whole life and just never really paid attn. I guess). As for my input on what to do with the space: why doesn't the city save some money, keep the current musuem and use that as the children's museum, raze the Poe and then build something more eco-friendly & interesting and use any left over monies to revive the Kiley Gardens - the real GEM here in town!!!! I propose a museum made of shipping containers - seems fitting as this is a "shipping" kind of town, plus we could put it in place of the POE with room left over, right next to the tracks, where... get this... shipping containers may stream by!!!

See my fave shipping container building here:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/09/freitag_recycle_1.php

Just a thought, but I love shipping container buildings and it seems like an amazing, fitting and visually interesting solution to the problem (which is what architecture is suppose to do by the way - solve problems of space!)

Considering that art museums typically require very stringent environmental conditions re: light, humidity, etc., I don't think the shipping container idea - though novel - is very practical in this particular instance.

It does seem odd to me that the city nary raised an objection to the demolition of the Maas Brothers building, is willing to tear down and rebuild the Art Museum, but the Poe parking garage is a sacred cow that shall not be touched??? For God's sake, we are building museums AROUND this ugly structure!!!

I realize that the library and TBPAC need patron parking, but it just seems that there's got to be a better solution regarding location of a parking garage.

^^ What about the lot immediatly across the street from TBPAC between the times building? It is currently an $8 surface parking lot! :bash:

My thought on the parking is that they should have all or most parking as close to the interstate exits as possible. Cars would see cars on so on...
The same goes for car dealerships and gas stations...why not just have them located where MOST cars are located and not in residential areas or places where they just are NOT welcome.
The have the transit AUTHORITIES circulate their buses around these ares to bring people to where they really WANT to be which is away from their cars?
I would bet more people would spend less time in their cars and we could get on with enjoying lie a bit.