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, December 12, 2010

Creating Places: Good-bye to "Tower Building"

If the 2400 West End project (for hotel and wine bar space) materializes, Midtown will lose a 1920s-built structure with some classic features. The building, currently home to FYE and best known as the former space of Tower Records, offers at its entrance two pilasters with ionic capitals, a cornice and a roof line with a balustrade. Also, the main door is extremely close to the sidewalk. That's the type old-school entrance arrangement we don't see much with new construction (as car usage often dictates otherwise). I like the facade of this building and will hate to see it go. But the replacement will offer a mixture of uses and, likely, a scale more suitable for that site. Let's hope the design is as effective as the function.

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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 13, 2010 at 8:35 AM

    You forgot to mention that the 1980s strip shopping center next door also goes in the deal. Glad to see that suburban-style eyesore (with a twin on 21st Ave and Broadway) disappear.

    Any truth to the rumor that the hotel will be a Four Seasons?

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  2. William WilliamsDecember 17, 2010 at 11:29 PM

    Oh, yes. Good point. Glad to see that cheese be toppled. But I do fondly recall the days of Tower Books. No word yet as to the hotel. Four Seasons might work.

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