Creating Places: A Citizen Observer's Look at Nashville's Built Environment


Writer's Note: William Williams' interest in the manmade environment dates to 1970, at which point the then-young Williams started a collection of postcards of city skylines. The collection now numbers 1,000-plus cards. Among the writer's specific interests are exterior building design, city district planning, demographics, signage, mixed-use development, mass transit and green/sustainable construction and living. Williams began his Creating Places column with The City Paper in February 2005. The column in its original form was discontinued in September 2008 and reinvented via this blog in November 2008. Creating Places can be found on the home page of the website of The City Paper, at which Williams has worked in various capacities since October 2000.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Creating Places: Random Notes

A quick few notes as I ponder what is more thrilling as far as Celtic music instrument solos go: a playful tin whistle solo (check this one from the talented Mary Bergen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdJYbOkbetQ) or a vigorous bodhran solo (marvel at John Joe Kelly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ChbigufBC8):

* The fading of the fire engine red paint on Ghost Ballet for the East Bank Machineworks continues. I'm afraid the piece is becoming an eyesore (many would argue it was from Day 1).

* Pine Street Flats in The Gulch is taking shape nicely. The first residents will move in by the end of this calendar year. Of note (and not including the first floor), the building is stick frame.

* No word yet on a start date for Vision Hospitality's hotel proposed for Division Street in The Gulch.

* And speaking of the Gulch, check the building on the southeast corner of Division and Eighth Avenue South. I think it will be a pizza joint with a rooftop deck for views of the skyline. At this point, I have no idea if this structure will look attractive when finished. At this point, it looks very unusual. One concern: a fence lining the property's western wall.

* The Music City Center "tunnel" is looking outstanding.




14 comments:

  1. The "Ghost Ballet" sculpture is most definitely not becoming an eyesore! William, that's a totally bizarre comment.

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    1. +1 re: Ghost Ballet. Still looks great IMO.

      What exactly is "stick frame"? Don't most residential buildings use wood for framing? I remember the Belle Meade Court condos under construction and it looked like a forest with all the wood used. What's the issue?



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    2. AMous7:53,

      I like the piece overall. But the fading red paint (taking on a pinkish hue) is becoming an eyesore.

      WW

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    3. Stick frame is wood (as opposed to concrete or steel). It can work well.

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  2. Regarding the Music City Center, what material is the caramel colored siding used on parts of the building and roof made of? Is it metal, composite or something else? At first I didn't like it, but I think it fits in well with the modern design of the building.

    The new convention center and hotels are really transforming downtown Nashville for the future. It's amazing to watch this happen right in the heart of downtown.

    If only we could get some further big developments underway at the West End Summit site and along Demonbreum near Music Row.

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    1. I would assume it's a metal of some sort. But good question.

      WW

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  3. I noticed this week that several large construction cranes are in place at the corner of West End & 21st for the new College Halls at Kissam on the Vanderbilt campus. This looks to be a massive new complex on a vital part of the campus. What information do you have about this project? Is it dorms, classrooms, offices, etc? Renderings to share?

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    1. Dorms.

      Renderings are here.

      http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/04/college-halls-breaks-ground/

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    2. My understanding is that the new halls on that site will be housing, part of the residential college model recently adopted by vandy. It will likely include dining, study, and commons areas and from the renderings I've seen, will be stunning.

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  4. Ghost Ballet sculpture still looks quite good.

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  5. Anonymous at 9:01am,

    These high-end midrise apartment buildings that are popping up around Nashville should be made of concrete instead of wood. Concrete is fireproof, can't get damaged if it gets wet, and doesn't get attacked by termites. Besides, can a five story building even support itself safely if it is made of little wood 2x4's? It doesn't seem like it to me.

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    Replies
    1. It can support itself and the first floor will be of concrete (to minimize, if not eliminate, termite concerns). Still, I prefer concrete.

      WW

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  6. The Vision Hospitality site has a Fairfield Inn & Suites listed as being in the pipeline for Downtown Nashville at the Gulch for 2013. It's not a property that looks like it'll be of any significant size. So, I'll probably take less than a year to build as hotels of that nature tend to go. So much of it is prefabricated. So if they move forward with their plans, once they get the foundation work done and the steel work done the rest is assembly, wiring, plumbing and a/c. Here's a link to the site... http://www.vhghotels.com/vhg_docs/pipeline.htm

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  7. Ghost Ballet is still ugly and says nothing about the city except that we can waste money on monuments to twisted railroad tracks.

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