Creating Places: Random tidbits

There is lots happening in the city, enough so to tempt me to say Nashville is in "full boom mode." Whether the city can actually explode with, say, three times the number of projects we currently have underway (which, depending on how you define "project," would be upwards of 100 developments) is hard to  say. Our population is currently growing at about 1.7 to 2 percent annually (or no more than 20 percent over a 10-year Census Bureau span). For a massive development boom, we would need to get that up to about 3 percent (if not more). Until that happens (if it ever does), there is still much to follow. A few examples:

* Work has resumed on the SoBro site of the Hilton Garden Inn. Read here.

* Does the start of construction of Gulch Crossing loom? Read here

* The under-construction Fairfield Inn by Marriott in The Gulch is now on Floor 4 and taking on some very nice definition.

* The Homewood Suites at 24th and West End avenues is showing some tasteful brick and stone exterior cladding.

* An October groundbreaking has been set for Artisan Lofts, to face Rosa Parks Boulevard and sit in Hope Gardens next to Row 8.9n. Read more here.

* I am liking more and more the color combination found with the brick and Hardie siding exterior on 12South Flats.

* Ray Hensler's Gulch luxury apartment tower is now on Floor 3.

* Tony Giarratana is closer to making his SoBro apartment tower a reality. Read here.

Creating Places: Major design firms impact city

(Note: I wrote this for Nashville Post but thought some readers might not see. So, I'm posting here.)

Last week's announcement that Giarratana Nashville LLC intends to use global architecture firm Gensler to design a proposed tower to house a Marriott hotel was newsworthy (read here) in that the city likely has never seen a more high-profile design company undertake work here.

To date, the most high-profile architecture companies to do work in Nashville (based on various sources) likely have been HOK Sport Venue Event (which designed the Bridgestone Arena and LP Field and is now called Populous and, at the time, part of heavy-hitter HOK Group), Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (Fifth Third Center) and Skidmore Owings & Merrill (Snodgrass Tower). Some would contend SO&M remains more "big time" than Gensler (based on various criteria, including venerability).

Gensler (read more here) has about 3,500 employees working in 43 offices internationally and has designed some of the world’s most high-profile buildings, including the World Trade Center in Saudi Arabia and the Government Communications Headquarters in the United Kingdom. In 2012, the San Francisco-based company generated the most revenue of any architecture firm based in the United States, according to Architectural Record. ArchDaily ranks Gensler the world's No. 2 design firm based on number of employees (read here).

Interestingly, Giarratana Nashville is working with Loewenberg Architects for the proposed SoBro, a 33-story tower the local company hopes to co-develop with Chicago-based Magellan Development Group LLC (read more here). Also, Giarratana hopes to use Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill for its planned 505 CST. Both can be found on lists for the nation's Top 200 design firms.

Relatedly, Thompson, Ventulett, Stainbeck and Associates (Music City Center) and KA Architects (Icon in The Gulch) are highly respected and found on various rankings lists.

The bottom line: These are the exciting times for Nashville related to high-profile national architectural firms both doing and hoping to do work here. 

Creating Places: The most 'Nashville-like' city

As the conclusion looms for another weekend — this one highlighted by Art Deco-era cars and some quality Mayday beer — I ask a question: What U.S. city is most like Nashville?

Here are a few that come to mind:

* Austin. Like Nashville, it's a state capital, has a great music scene, is hilly, is home to lots of cool young people and is positively perceived by many folks nationwide. In contrast, Austin has one university (the University of Texas) of note (to Nashville's "big four" of Belmont, Lipscomb, Tennessee State and Vanderbilt universities), has a demographic makeup that shows more Hispanics than African-Americans (Nashville offers the opposite of that ethnic composition) and has already gotten in the game with mass transit.

* Charlotte. Similarities between the Queen City and Music City include topography, a modest collection of vintage masonry buildings (Nashville has more, which doesn't say much for Charlotte) and their status as their respective states' "main city" despite tough competition (Memphis for Nashville and Raleigh-Durham for Charlotte). There is also a similarity in ethnic/racial numbers. In contrast, Charlotte's Uptown skyline is significantly more impressive than Nashville's downtown skyline, while Nashville has a much more prestigious collection of universities.

* Atlanta. On the surface, this seems insane as Atlanta is considerably more populous, vibrant, urban and cosmopolitan. But look closely and you will see some parallels. Both cities are state capitals, both are home to multiple quality universities (including vibrant HBCU districts) and both offer diverse economies. Both Atlanta and Nashville bulldozed countless beautiful historic buildings in the 1950s,  60s, and 70s. Also, the geography — lots of hills and trees — is extremely similar.

* Providence. No doubt, this is a major stretch. Providence teems with historic architecture, people density and lots of water. In contrast, Nashville offers multiple contemporary buildings and great name recognition. But when I visited the Rhode Island city, I noticed some similarities that some might not realize. Both Nashville and Providence are capital cities, both have high-profile private universities (Brown in Providence and Vanderbilt in Nashville) and both have burgeoning arts scenes. Both have metropolitan populations of about 1.65 million. Nashville is home to the nation's largest Kurdish population, while Providence has one of the country's largest Liberian populations. Both cities have major employers in the health care and higher education sectors.

Feel free to weigh in. I'm curious to get reader feedback.

Creating Places: A few thoughts

After having just returned from enjoying at Dan McGuinness the underrated Molly Ramone perform a solid version The Pogues' classic Irish sing-alone "Sally MacLennane," I ask the following:

* Is it necessary for AT&T to have with its soon-to-open building at 19th and West End avenues both a pole sign and signs affixed to the south and east walls? This is "signage overkill" at its most glaring.

* Did the fine folks at White Lodging ever stop to think that, before they had their Hyatt Place hotel designed for SoBro, a neutral stucco would look horrendous?

* Does the person who continues to tag the Demonbreun Viaduct and various buildings in The Gulch realize that committing a crime for which there is no monetary gain is the ultimate in idiocy? And if this social deviant is 18 or older (which, sadly, might very well be the case), his level of dumbassery is staggering.

* Do you cringe when you walk, bike or drive pass the Comfort Inn near the Music Row Roundabout — courtesy of the building's pathetic looking fiddles adoring the exterior walls?

* How many Nashvillians are extremely concerned about the possible loss of the Edwin Keeble-designed United Methodist Publishing House building located at the southwest corner of the Eight Avenue South and Demonbreun Street intersection in SoBro? Learn more here about the man who was arguably this city's greatest architect.

* Should I be uncomfortable admitting I'm enjoying the latest Black Sabbath album?

Creating Place: Printers Alley update

First, let me apologize for not promptly responding to some questions some of you had in a previous post. I appreciate your patience. Sometimes I am no more on tops of things with this blog site as I am attentive to my ever-expanding waistline. (Whiskey and Indian buffets can be rough on the gut.)

That said, yesterday I noticed some tasteful changes at Printers Alley.

First, somebody hit on genius, thinking to paint the trash receptacles in the alley with old-school country music artists' names as the theme. I saw Johnny Trash, Dolly Carton and Loretta Bin. You would think this might be hokey but the effect is strong. (See the photos below.) Also, the aging parking garage (see below) that fronts Third Avenue and backs up to Hotel Indigo is being given a nice facelift. In addition, the vertical black banner for the Brass Stables has finally been reaffixed to its surface and looks vastly better. Lastly, multi-colored balloons welcome visitors into the alley. The overall effect is quite nice.

There is something about quirky, gritty and/or smallish public spaces — and Printers Alley is a fine example — that I have always found fascinating. Another nice example is Ryman Alley that runs along the back side of some Lower Broadway establishments, including the stellar Robert's Western World.

Creating Places: Street banner observation

Only a few weeks after the Avenue of the Arts streetscape improvement project was concluded on the segment of Fifth Avenue North between Church and Union streets, one of the original seven light pole banners has been removed. And at least two others are frayed at their lower segments (see an example with the lower right corner of the banner pictured below). Why? Because apparently Metro simply doesn't get it. You cannot affix street light polls with banners using a cross bar on the top only and a loop on the bottom. If you do, when strong winds hit, the banners get ripped from the flimsy bottom attachment. I continue to be baffled that the city doesn't understand this. The approach is simple: If for whatever reason Metro chooses to not use street poles with two cross bars, then no banners should be included. Either attached the banners properly or don't attach them at all.

Creating Places: A few quick hits

It's late Thursday night and — for some odd reason — instead of listening to some soothing music to lull myself to sleep, I am sampling the latest Black Sabbath album, 13, courtesy of Spotify. Slightly invigorated by the plodding and sinister sound, I offer some tidbits:

* Last weekend, I checked the lobby of Elliston 23. Very tasteful. I do wish the Elliston face of the structure did not sport a garage entrance but, overall, that part of the building's exterior is quite attractive. The other three sides, clearly, are lacking. Elliston 23 strikes a commanding presence on the street for which it is named. A strong addition.

* Relatedly, fencing is up for  I & G Elliston's 2110 Elliston project located a few blocks west of Elliston 23.

* And on the fencing theme ... fencing has been installed at the site that will be home to the Metro Police Department Central Precinct project.  

* The more I view it, the more I like Demetria Kalodimos' The Filming Station building (located near the MCC Roundabout). Check some nice photos, courtesy of Bob Parks realtor Justin Holder, here.

* I've been told there is some interesting art work on what is the west side of the Church Street building last home to Performance Studios (across from the NES Building). I plan to soon check, get some photos and post for the readers (modest in numbers though they may be) of this blogsite.

* I've always been a fan of Stanford Place, the handsome condo building located at 4040 Woodlawn Drive and seen below in a photo courtesy of Google Streetview. I seem to recall the building was completed in the late 1990s, but I could easily be wrong. If anybody has details (particularly the architect), please share.