OK, we know it's not really called the Beercan Building. But that moniker has moved from pejorative to affectionate by now, hasn't it? And whatever you call it, the Rivergate Tower is a signal achievement — a beautifully austere and mathematically inspired creation by architect Harry Wolf that is as worthy an icon for Tampa as those minarets across the river.
Today, celebrate the 25th birthday of Tampa's most distinctive skyscraper with a special event featuring Wolf himself, plus several members of the original building project team. A presentation by Wolf and a panel discussion with some of his collaborators is the centerpiece of the evening. Guests will also get the chance to visit the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts and the offices of Tampa Bay WaVE, the entrepreneurs' resource center, both tenants of the building. If you haven't seen the tower (and the "cube") from the inside as well as out, you haven't fully experienced Wolf's achievement.
A star-studded list of local politicos is scheduled to be on hand, including Mayor Bob Buckhorn, U.S. Congressional candidate Alex Sink, City Councilwoman (and former CL art critic) Mary Mulhern, and former City Councilwoman (and current CL architecture columnist) Linda Saul-Sena. It'll be interesting to see if anyone brings up the painful subject of Kiley Garden, the now-denuded neighbor of Rivergate which was an integral part of the project's original design.
Rivergate 25th, Thurs. Nov. 21, 6:30-9 p.m., Rivergate Tower, Ashley St. & Kennedy Blvd. $10. Light hors d'oeuvres and cash bar.
This article appears in Nov 21-27, 2013.