Ulele

Tampa’s once abandoned, turn-of-the-century water works building is a restored example of the area’s architectural history, while also finding new functionality. Beck’s design and construction teams transformed the historic water pumping station into Ulele, one of Tampa’s most anticipated new restaurants. Ulele is the centerpiece of a larger, ongoing civic revitalization effort that includes a new waterfront park and playground, as well as winding pedestrian pathways, in an underutilized area just north of the downtown on the final leg of the Tampa Riverwalk. Beck carefully renovated the building with both functional and aesthetic components to support the new restaurant, while also being careful to preserve the historic character and exterior red brick façade. Outside, the restaurant grounds include a beer garden and brewhouse, as well as a natural spring that empties into a lagoon featuring a bronze statue of Ulele, the mythic Native American princess for whom the restaurant is named.