The design of the New Tampa Performing Arts Center is inspired by the movements of actors and dancers on stage. Roofs and walls dance together, sliding past one another, creating their own choreography of dynamic moves. The slender columns are in dialogue with the surrounding cypress trees transitioning from exterior to interior. Inside the lobby, floating wood elements pick up on the choreography, and the red recesses define the entry to the auditorium. As patrons enter the auditorium, floating wood elements and red acoustical panels greet them and define the space's acoustics. The 350-seat retractable seating system provides flexibility, transforming the room from a theater venue to a multi-purpose room for receptions.
The stage includes a manual counterweight system and a loft gallery to create a full working stage for improved performances. The back of the house contains a 2-story shop, two dressing rooms, a green room, and a piano storage room. The dance studios are designed with operable partitions to make their sizes flexible. They also include sprung flooring and dance barres. Each studio has vertical openings pierced by the masonry vertical fins to focus on the wetlands while minimizing direct sunlight. The facility also includes administration spaces and a catering room for different venues.
FG+M designed The New Tampa Performing Arts Center to grow concurrently in anticipation of the community's growth. The wing of the New Tampa Performing Arts Center will accommodate a future second-story addition for additional dance studios and community spaces.
