| Off the Wall explores how Tampa's central business district sea wall may become more than a water/land boundary, functioning as an interactive surface and infrastructure mechanism that unifies, organizes, and defines public waterfront venues. Tampa's history, culture, and most significant community events share strong ties to interactions at water's edge. Wall is studied as an assembled surface with primary components and as a surface in transition. A register translates water/land surface conditions (tide fluctuations, water traffic wakes, shifts in land elevation) to a visible, mechanical response. Oriented perpendicular to the water's edge, the register changes form over the course of the wall from overhead condition to a less conspicuous marking of an implied margin edge. The register provides a framework for attachment of special event props or shading devices and a location for nighttime lighting. |
