Sunken Fortune
Bar and Restaurant Experience
Ahoy Scallywags! Step foot into Sunken Fortune, a mixed reality bar and restaurant experience in downtown Tampa. Explore the Captain’s quarters on the legendary Gasparilla ship, have a swig of grog, and search for clues to find the lost treasure of the great Jose Gaspar.
This experience is inspired by the legend of Gasparilla. Widely recognized in Florida as a holiday, Gasparilla weekend hosts the third-largest parade in the US, "The Gasparilla Pirate Invasion," inspired by the legendary Gasparilla pirate ship and it’s crew. This annual reenactment of Jose Gaspar’s pirate invasion, attracts more than 300,000 attendees. Gaspar terrorized Florida's west coast waterways throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Over 400 ships were taken in this time. It is speculated that his wealth is scattered along the Gulf Coast.
The bar and restaurant experience will be approximately 7,000 square ft and consist of about six spaces accessible to guests. The guest experience starts in the restaurant lobby, guests may then either enjoy some time at the bar or dine in the stern.
Sprinkled around the restaurant are clues that ignite guests curiosity to find the lost treasure. In the Captain’s study lies a secret bookcase door, allowing guests to journey into the sunken caverns beneath the ship, finding the great “Sunken Fortune!” Because it is truly unknown where off of Florida’s West coast the treasure lies, everyone gets to experience the journey of a pirate, in this retelling of the legend, and take home some booty of their own!
To complete this project; I used Revit to design my ground plan, SketchUp and Enscape to model and render the space, as well as Adobe Illustrator and Procreate to emphasize detail.
Captain’s Study
Opposite to the bar, guests may explore the Captain’s Study. With a big writers desk, clues to the lost treasure are scattered amongst Gaspar's paperwork and maps. The walls are lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves and collected antiques. The room is lit with ornate torches, look up close and see their secret! When the torch is pulled as a lever, the bookcase will swing open, leading to a descending path toward the caverns.
Treasure Cavern
Descend into a Limestone cavern filled with the lost Gasparilla treasure. ¾ of this space is a dining area, Guests who know the secret dining password may book a table reservation in the Treasure Room. If you’re dining in this space, you also have access to the secret drink menu. ¼ of this space will be designated to foot traffic. If guests crack the code to find the secret treasure, they may venture here and receive a souvenir coaster, themed as a pirate coin.
Souvenir Coin Coasters
To ensure my classmates felt immersed in my experience, I made pirate coin coasters for each person.
The logo on the coin has become the branding for the restaurant concept, Using Photos of the Gasparilla ship, recreated by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, I drew and vectorized the ship, then created a logo using Adobe Illustrator.
The pirate coins were laser cut and engraved, using cardboard.
Ground Plan
For the final Ground plan, I color coded the space for a better idea of how many spaces have their own individual identities. Both the Main dining room and the treasure cavern consists of 230 seats while the bar and bar seating section consists of 75 seats. I also wanted to include an isometric view of the space for a better idea of the spatial layout.
Concept Ideation
While planning my initial Design I wanted to explore some elements of speakeasy mystery. I ideated having a bookcase door, triggered by a light/lever that, when pulled, leads guest toward the treasure. Additionally, I wanted to design this space with the original Gasparilla ship in mind, making it feel very rich in exploration and travel.