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.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Creating Places: Random East Side Notes

Driving East Nashville yesterday, I took a close look at the contemporary building that appears finished and that sits on the northeast corner of the intersection of 10th and Main streets. I'm not sure what type business the structure will accommodate, but I am certain of this: The building, with its 90-degree-angled geometric forms and understated color scheme contrasts significantly with the hideous home to Hunter's Custom Automotive and the handsome East Literature Magnet School/East Middle School buildings that sandwich it.

On the east side theme, work on the "new-look" masonic lodge on the southeast corner of 14th Street and Eastland Avenue continues. I'm afraid the architects of the building, which will replace a 1950s-era non-descript brick structure, might have designed the reincarnated facility to look like some type of semi-stately civic building. Could be a misstep.

Check this post, which explains possible design concerns nicely:

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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 16, 2009 at 8:03 AM

    The building at 10th & Main is Dr. Tom Hadley's new dental office.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownNovember 16, 2009 at 9:01 AM

    The interiors and exterior colors were designed by East Nashville's Shonna Sexton. It's a beautiful building.

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  3. AnonymousNovember 16, 2009 at 11:22 AM

    The building was designed by East Nashville's Powell Design Studio. The interplay between the original house, the new addition and exterior featured walls reflect the angles of Main St., property lines and the original sturcture. The exterior angles and forms extend into the interior creating beams, planes and open spaces for the dental office functions.

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  4. AnonymousNovember 23, 2009 at 4:21 PM

    I like the building on Main Street okay. I do think they could have left some of the natural brick in view (to compliment East Lit a little more). The building on Eastland looks like a mix between a mini-Lowes and a courthouse type building. It looks like it's really going to look out of place and dominate an otherwise truly lovely street.

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  5. AnonymousNovember 24, 2009 at 7:19 AM

    Whatever happened to the plan to demolish the Bank of America building on Main St and build apartments? The building is up for sale again.

    ReplyDelete
  6. William WilliamsNovember 24, 2009 at 4:45 PM

    The proposed 800 Main has been scrapped from what I can determine.

    WW

    ReplyDelete

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