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Design Week events focus on St. Pete architecture
The Tampa-based Center for Architecture & Design’s ninth Annual Tampa Bay Design Week is in full swing, with curated events, tours, discussions and more. Although the majority of the nonprofit’s scheduled 2024 events take place in Tampa, the spotlight will turn to St. Petersburg architecture – both new and historic – Saturday and Sunday.
The Center for Architecture & Design is the public outreach arm of the American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay chapter. The Center, says board chair Linda Saul-Sena, “is “committed to getting the public engaged with improving our built environment, preserving the past, looking toward great work in the future and making our community as livable as possible.”
Preserve the ‘Burg is a co-sponsor of Saturday’s “Mid-Century Modern Self-Guided Driving Tour,” focusing on post-World War II suburban development. It’s a “cruise,” with discussion, on historic 1950s and ‘60s neighborhoods including Snell Isle and Pinellas Point. “A timeless era of innovative design” is how the Center’s registration website describes it.
Sunday’s event is “the St. Pete Pier: Behind the Scenes.”
Chris Ballestra, the City’s Managing Director of Development, will be among those leading the tour of the 26-acre site. “He’s going to tell some behind-the-scenes stories of what the process was like,” Saul-Sena reports. “Any construction project has its challenges, but something of that scale and magnitude, I figure, will have some really juicy tales that have not been told before about the process of getting it built.”
Registration is limited to 40 people.
Other Design Week events
Tonight (Monday, April 15): A screening of the film Flexible Buildings: The Future of Architecture, with opening remarks by Tampa mayor Jane Castor, and followed by a panel discussion about appropriate growth, embracing technology and sustainability. Location: Tampa Theatre. Admission is free.
Tuesday: Water Street’s Heron Building Tour: Behind the Scenes. The environmentally-friendly apartment building marks the beginning of Tampa’s Riverwalk.
Wednesday: West Tampa Trolley Tour and Talk. Tour begins at the historic Berriman-Morgan Cigar Factory.
Thursday: Design Evolution of a Cigar City Neighborhood: A Walking Tour of VM Ybor’s Columbus Drive. Tour participants meet at Cigar Worker’s Park.
Friday: Midtown Tampa Tour: Behind the Scenes. Developed by Bromley Companies, this 22 acre neighborhood includes 1.8 million square feet of mixed-use development including retail space, class A office buildings, residential units, hotel, and four acres of public spaces.
Unless indicated, all events require tickets and registration. Click here for tickets, locations and additional details.
