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, January 15, 2013

Creating Places: My type of building Part III

Below is a photo of the Belmont United Methodist Church addition (completed a few years ago) that houses a gym and other activity spaces. I like the combination of the circular windows and the rectangular spaces created by the squared columns and that allow window views. The limestone and brick combo is nice too. On the brick theme, note the lighter brick on the facade (which faces 21st Avenue) and the darker brick on the side of the building that fronts the side walkway. A very nice touch. Indeed, this building shows an attractive blend of traditional and contemporary elements. Nashville-based Gilbert | McLaughlin | Casella Architects (a very underrated firm) designed this tasteful structure. See more images at the firm's website.


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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2013 at 10:13 AM

    I think it looks ok, certainly nothing spectacular. But then, it's for a church. I do not care for the small round windows.

    WW, so glad you are not advocating yet another dark-colored, sinister looking structure!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. William WilliamsJanuary 18, 2013 at 8:45 AM

    AMous,

    Nice use of "sinister."

    WW

    ReplyDelete

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