Port Canaveral Exploration Tower
Port Canaveral E x p l o r a t i o n To w e r Institutional
Port Canaveral, Florida The new Port Canaveral Exploration Tower—highly visible from the Port’s cruise ship terminal and nearby major transportation routes—was planned as a port of call destination. Simultaneously, it is the anchor project of an extensive redevelopment planned to revitalize Canaveral Cove’s harborside market area and capitalize on its location at the crossroads of many tourist activities. The Tower expresses the common characteristics— transience, function and imagery—of the region’s many stories: passenger cruising, the Space Coast, the military, nature, and beaches. The building’s form and features—sun louvers, exposed structure and iridescent skin—contribute to a constant sense of movement as the sun plays across the structure, meet functional needs, and evoke imagery of the busy port and surrounding county. A rocket ready to launch, a surfboard in the sand, a ship’s hull, a rocket contrail, all can be seen in the structure’s presence. Inside, visitors get spectacular bird’s eye views of Port Canaveral and the surrounding area from two observation decks and discover more about this unique part of Florida from seven floors of exhibits and interactive play.
V i ew f ro m t he N o rt hw est
Design Inspiration: Function Function driven form is common to the aesthetics associated with Brevard County, from curvilinear organic forms observed in seashells and aquatic life, to the advanced marine and aerospace engineering associated with Florida’s Space Coast. Heavily surrounded by watercraft and aircraft, the tower adopts these transient elements as its context and celebrates them. The Exploration Tower’s protective south-facing “shell” protects the interior from the strong Florida sun, while providing elevated panoramic views of the Port and Cape Canaveral to the north. The building’s curvilinear form is designed to withstand the daily ocean breezes, as well as potential hurricane force winds, while its structure and vertical circulation elements are expressed on the building’s interior and exterior.
E a st E l eva t i o n
Design Inspiration: Transience The transitory nature of the site along the Atlantic Ocean is unique: annual migrations of native loggerhead sea turtles to the Atlantic, numerous water fowl, grand passenger cruise ships, industrial transports, planes and submarines from neighboring Air Force and Naval Stations, and NASA’s spectacular rocket launches. More importantly, the Tower’s protective metal skin responds to this transience and is coated with an iridescent paint that subtly shifts from warm white tones to cooler white tones depending on the observer’s movement around the building and sun’s positioning. In this context, the building serves as a constant, a reference beacon for the multitude of craft, and even aquatic life, entering and departing the waters of Port Canaveral. At the roof observation deck, visitors can observe both natural and man-made objects moving through air and water surrounding the site.
Aeri a l vi ew f ro m So ut h
Design Inspiration: Imagery The Exploration Tower’s shape is informed by strong local imagery found along the Florida’s flat terrain, and metaphorically connects to the various stories in Brevard County. The building’s tapered and curvilinear form is reminiscent of a shuttle preparing for launch, tall industrial silos along the Port, and surfboards propped in the sand along nearby Cocoa Beach. The tower’s profile is inspired by rocket contrails, prominent climbing arcs familiar to the Florida sky.
So ut h E l eva t i o n
Entry Plaza
Future Cafe Exploration Tower
Future Amphitheater Reflecting Pond
Concept Site Plan
Roof Terrace
West Fa c a d e D et a i l
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Fl. 2 1
Fl. 3 9
Fl. 4 4 6
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Legend 1 Gift Shop 2 Lobby 3 Cafe 4 Auditorium 5 Terrace 6 Event Room 7 Kitchen 8 Mech. /Elec. 9 Exhibits 10 Work Room 11 Storage 12 Harbor Master 13 Observation
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Fl. 5 9
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Section East / West
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8 Fl. 6 13
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Section North / South
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Fl. 7 13
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Lo bby
Seco nd Fl o o r L o b b y E xhi b i t s
T hea t er
T hi rd Fl o o r E xhi b i t s
Sec o nd Fl o o r E xhi b i t s
Sec o nd Fl o o r E xhi b i t s
V i ew f ro m t he N o rt hea st
Port Canaveral, Florida The new Port Canaveral Exploration Tower—highly visible from the Port’s cruise ship terminal and nearby major transportation routes—was planned as a port of call destination. Simultaneously, it is the anchor project of an extensive redevelopment planned to revitalize Canaveral Cove’s harborside market area and capitalize on its location at the crossroads of many tourist activities. The Tower expresses the common characteristics— transience, function and imagery—of the region’s many stories: passenger cruising, the Space Coast, the military, nature, and beaches. The building’s form and features—sun louvers, exposed structure and iridescent skin—contribute to a constant sense of movement as the sun plays across the structure, meet functional needs, and evoke imagery of the busy port and surrounding county. A rocket ready to launch, a surfboard in the sand, a ship’s hull, a rocket contrail, all can be seen in the structure’s presence. Inside, visitors get spectacular bird’s eye views of Port Canaveral and the surrounding area from two observation decks and discover more about this unique part of Florida from seven floors of exhibits and interactive play.
V i ew f ro m t he N o rt hw est
Design Inspiration: Function Function driven form is common to the aesthetics associated with Brevard County, from curvilinear organic forms observed in seashells and aquatic life, to the advanced marine and aerospace engineering associated with Florida’s Space Coast. Heavily surrounded by watercraft and aircraft, the tower adopts these transient elements as its context and celebrates them. The Exploration Tower’s protective south-facing “shell” protects the interior from the strong Florida sun, while providing elevated panoramic views of the Port and Cape Canaveral to the north. The building’s curvilinear form is designed to withstand the daily ocean breezes, as well as potential hurricane force winds, while its structure and vertical circulation elements are expressed on the building’s interior and exterior.
E a st E l eva t i o n
Design Inspiration: Transience The transitory nature of the site along the Atlantic Ocean is unique: annual migrations of native loggerhead sea turtles to the Atlantic, numerous water fowl, grand passenger cruise ships, industrial transports, planes and submarines from neighboring Air Force and Naval Stations, and NASA’s spectacular rocket launches. More importantly, the Tower’s protective metal skin responds to this transience and is coated with an iridescent paint that subtly shifts from warm white tones to cooler white tones depending on the observer’s movement around the building and sun’s positioning. In this context, the building serves as a constant, a reference beacon for the multitude of craft, and even aquatic life, entering and departing the waters of Port Canaveral. At the roof observation deck, visitors can observe both natural and man-made objects moving through air and water surrounding the site.
Aeri a l vi ew f ro m So ut h
Design Inspiration: Imagery The Exploration Tower’s shape is informed by strong local imagery found along the Florida’s flat terrain, and metaphorically connects to the various stories in Brevard County. The building’s tapered and curvilinear form is reminiscent of a shuttle preparing for launch, tall industrial silos along the Port, and surfboards propped in the sand along nearby Cocoa Beach. The tower’s profile is inspired by rocket contrails, prominent climbing arcs familiar to the Florida sky.
So ut h E l eva t i o n
Entry Plaza
Future Cafe Exploration Tower
Future Amphitheater Reflecting Pond
Concept Site Plan
Roof Terrace
West Fa c a d e D et a i l
Fl. 1
Fl. 2 1
Fl. 3 9
Fl. 4 4 6
2
3
8
N
0
8
13
13
13
Legend 1 Gift Shop 2 Lobby 3 Cafe 4 Auditorium 5 Terrace 6 Event Room 7 Kitchen 8 Mech. /Elec. 9 Exhibits 10 Work Room 11 Storage 12 Harbor Master 13 Observation
3
7
9
8
6
6
6
9
4
9
9
9
2
3
9 1
Fl. 5 9
7
Section East / West
8
8 Fl. 6 13
10
9
Section North / South
3
16
13
2
6
9
9
12
11
Fl. 7 13
13 8
0
8
16
Lo bby
Seco nd Fl o o r L o b b y E xhi b i t s
T hea t er
T hi rd Fl o o r E xhi b i t s
Sec o nd Fl o o r E xhi b i t s
Sec o nd Fl o o r E xhi b i t s
V i ew f ro m t he N o rt hea st
