On Thursday, November 7th, Wannemacher Jensen Architects received two Merit Awards for Architecture. Fire Station #7 received a Merit Award for Architecture in the Institutional Category and the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum received a Merit Award for Architecture in the Un-Built Institutional/Commercial Category.
The projects can be found here:
This month, the team of Heneghan Peng Architects, Wannemacher Jensen Architects, Gustafson Porter+Bowman, Sven Anderson, Pentagram, and Bartenback LichtLabor will compete as one of the six shortlisted concepts for the National Pulse Memorial & Museum. The designs will be on display at the Orange County Regional History Center where people can view and comment on the schemes, helping the jury choose the winning proposal, to be announced on October 30.
More info can be found here:
In a recent article, 83 Degrees featured St Pete’s Woodson Museum, a concept and vision of what the Museum could be. Janan Talafer writes:
To begin the process of envisioning The Woodson’s future, earlier this year the city hired St. Petersburg-based Wannemacher Jensen Architects and Mario Gooden, principal of New York-based Huff & Gooden Architects.
Both firms come with big credentials. Huff & Gooden is the lead design firm for the $67 million renovations and expansion of the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. Wannemacher Jensen collaborated with Harvard Jolly Architecture and Yann Weymouth to create the new downtown St. Petersburg James Museum.
In June, the architectural team briefed St. Petersburg City Council on preliminary design plans, which include enlarging the museum as a two-story building with a rooftop garden terrace overlooking the legacy garden.
As part of the design process, the team also hosted a one-day symposium at the historic Manhattan Casino with a panel of local and national scholars, including Gooden; Dr. Michelle Joan Wilkinson, curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture; and Gwendolyn Reese, local historian, prominent speaker and president of St. Petersburg’s African-American Heritage Trail. The discussion centered on the role of African-American history museums and soliciting community input about the Woodson’s future.
Jason Jensen, the lead architect on the project with Mario Gooden, says it’s important not to see The Woodson only for what it is today, but to hold a vision of what it can represent in the future.
“It’s a conversation about how the museum can have the greatest positive effect on the community from an urban, cultural, and historical perspective,” says Jensen.
He also says it’s important to not only “tell the story of the African-American community’s history and its resilience but to explore art in all its mediums, including dance and music.”
Earlier this week the WJ family celebrated the ground breaking for The Mirror, mixed-use development project in downtown St. Petersburg.
The new 6-story 32,000 sf facility will included three-floors of commercial office space and three-floors of residential condos. The project is being developed, designed, and built by WJ and will be the future home of the WJ family of companies.
To learn more on the project visit wjarc.com/the-mirror
After years of planning St. Petersburg’s Fire Station #7 opened last month. The a 9,270 square foot, 3-bay apparatus, drive-through fire station designed was designed with a priority on efficiency and ease-of-use throughout the building to ensure the crew would be optimally positioned to serve the community at all times.
Earlier this month the City of Clearwater opened the doors to the newly completed Morningside Recreation Center Designed by WJA. The new 20,998 sf facility houses an athletic gymnasium, fitness center, locker rooms, offices and a large dividable multi-purpose room. The new recreation center was built adjacent to the existing community pool and shares locker rooms and offices for administrative staff.
To learn more about the programs offered and operations hours for Morningside Recreation Center visit the City of Clearwater’s website.
Earlier this month Madeira Beach City Hall was featured in the official journal of the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architect Summer edition.
See the digital publication HERE
The 23,000 sf space which formerly housed a 1960’s grocery store will be completely renovated inside and out. The new social change center will serve as a flexible venue, forum, workshop and office for community members and non-profit organizations to come together, share resources, develop strategies and carry out initiatives. The new Social Change Center is being designed and built by WJ’s design-build division WJCreate with construction scheduled to begin November.
To learn more about the project and the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg view the official press release.
Earlier this month WJA completed the design for Plant City’s new Fire Station #3. The new 8,400 sf Fire Station will feature a glass bay to showcase the departments 1927 American LaFrance fire engine, 7 private dormitories, individual bathrooms and fitness center.
In an article published by the Plant City Observer, WJA’s Jeff McDowell, City Manager Bill McDaniel, and Chief Azzariti, spoke about the many features for the new Fire Station. The full article can be found here.
On January 10th, Academy Prep Center for Education in St. Petersburg broke ground on their new $2 million dollar multipurpose building. The new 2,610 sf multipurpose building will serve as the heart and gathering place for the school where they will meet every morning for pledge and for various other school wide gatherings. The building will include a mobile stage, warming kitchen and large covered outdoor cafeteria.
The new facility is being designed and built by WJArchitects / WJCreate. Serving as designer and builder, WJ is providing comprehensive architecture and construction services, managing the development of the project from concept to completion.
