Enhancing Our Visitor Experience
Serving the Tampa Museum of Art’s diverse audience, the dynamic sequence of interconnected interior and outdoor spaces in the expansion and renovation support a wide range of visitor experiences—from art lovers to Riverwalk strollers, from school children to gala guests. The design of the north entry plaza and expanded south terrace aims to create a more defined entry sequence from both the Poe Garage and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. These two spaces will provide a welcoming first impression of the Museum. The new lobby will be a centralized place for orientation and temporary events.
The plaza is bookended by large and small dog parks on both sides. As a continuation of Tampa’s Riverwalk, a sloped walk will bring pedestrians down to the river edge from the ground floor level. An outdoor amphitheater outside the Museum’s auditorium will serve as a shaded place for people to gather. With new native planting and shade trees, the Museum’s ground floor terrace will be accessible from Riverwalk. The goal of the landscape enhancement is to shape a seamless and integrated public experience around the Museum and the park.