On Wednesday May 15th, Mayor Karl Dean led an invitation only group of media representatives through the new landmark in Music City’s iconic downtown; The Music City Center which will open its doors May 19th. At 1.2 million square feet of convention center area, Music City Center will give Nashville a bigger stage to host larger conventions and meetings and, ultimately, to make a greater impact on the economy of the city and state.
Collaboration among architecture firms tvsdesign, Tuck-Hinton and Moody Nolan, the construction team of Bell/Clark/Harmony and the Nashville mayor’s office led to design cues that incorporate iconic scenes and sounds from Nashville and the state.
“There is a lot of love, care, heart and soul that have gone into this project from all three firms, the construction team and the mayor,” said Andy McLean with tvsdesign, one of the project’s principal architects. “We all wanted to create a landmark that would not only make Nashville proud but also reflect the unique culture of the area.”
That culture can be found inside and out at Music City Center. The $585 million facility’s undulating roof represents the rolling hills of Tennessee and the sound waves that can be overheard by musicians playing in clubs on Broadway, at the Grand Ole Opry or Schermerhorn Center. The wood and curves around the complex draw inspiration from beautifully crafted instruments like guitars, fiddles, mandolins, and pianos. In fact, the ballroom gives guests the feeling of sitting inside an acoustic guitar. (Images available upon request.)
The design and construction incorporates features to benefit visitors and the environment, and Music City Center is seeking LEED Silver Certification. A 175,000-square-foot green roof will insulate the building and slow rain water runoff, which will be harvested in a 360,000-gallon tank to be reused for irrigation and other needs. Baffles in the ceiling will capture the south sun. And every effort has been made to design the building for ease of recycling.
“We wanted to not only make this a landmark structure for Nashville, but we also wanted to show a deep respect for the Tennessee environment,” said Kevin Gordon with tvsdesign, another of the principal architects.
The roof was built using an innovative “clear span” structure, which does not require columns within the halls to support it. Learned through tvsdesign’s extensive convention center work in China, clear span technology creates large, unobstructed assembly halls, a sought-after feature in convention centers.
tvsdesign is a leading designer of convention centers, having worked on three of the largest convention centers in China, which led to many of the innovations at Music City Center. The firm also has worked on four of the United States’ top five convention centers, and others, such as McCormick Place in Chicago, Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Cobo Center in Detroit, the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh and The TEE Center in Augusta, Ga.
tvsdesign also created a custom carpet design inspired by the influence of music to make the meeting rooms, ballrooms and concourses as unique as Nashville. This carpet design may only be used by the Nashville convention center, which has the rights to it.
“You end up with an event space that is open and quite striking,” said Robert Svedberg, another principal architect with tvsdesign. “Those special details are what make this project really stand out, and we relate the large to the small, the human scale to the city streetscapes. There really isn’t anything else like it in either convention centers or hospitality.”
The building spans six large city blocks with a modern exterior glass curtain wall and limestone panels. In all, the new convention center has 60 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, 32 loading docks and a garage for 1,800 vehicles.
Aside from meeting the needs for conventions and meetings, the center features several performance-enhanced extras to give a nod to the region’s burgeoning entertainment industry, including additional rigging and lighting, green rooms and exceptional acoustics. Those extras will be on display during Music City Center’s opening weekend, which includes concerts by Phil Vassar, Sheryl Crow, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Mikky Ekko and The Time Jumpers with Vince Gill.
The new center anchors a 16-acre site just south of Broadway between Fifth and Eighth Avenues and Demonbreun and Korean Veterans’ Boulevard, adjacent to both the Bridgestone Arena and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It’s already serving as an anchor to economic development – more than 100 meetings and 800,000 hotel room nights have been booked.
For more information on Music City Center, visit www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com.
For more photos of the Music City Center visit www.momentsbymoser.zenfolio.com
MUSIC CITY CENTER: AT-A-GLANCE
Overview
Designers: tvsdesign, Moody Nolan and Tuck-Hinton
Construction team: Bell/Clark/Harmony Construction
City sponsor: Mayor and City of Nashville
Cost: $585 million
Public art collection comprised of more than 80 pieces
Key dates and times
Media Day: May 15, 2013, noon to 3 p.m. Central time
Opening Day: May 19, 2013
Mayor’s State of the Metro Speech: May 20, 2013, 10 a.m. – Mayor Karl Dean will present his State of Metro address at Music City Center
Grand Finale Concerts: Evening of May 20, 2013 featuring Sheryl Crow, Phil Vassar, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Mikky Ekko and The Time Jumpers with Vince Gill
By The Numbers
1.2 million square feet facility
Music City Center spans six city blocks
o 60 meeting rooms, 2 grand ballrooms57,500 square feet Grand Ballroom, which seats 6,000 people
The wood and curves around the complex draw inspiration from guitars, fiddles and pianos. In fact, the ballroom gives guests the feeling of sitting inside a grand piano.
1,800-vehicle garage
32 loading docks which are not visible to the street
Four active sides – with Sixth Avenue running underneath the building as a thoroughfareSustainability
Music City Center is seeking LEED Silver Certification
14-acre/175,000-square-foot green roof will:
o Insulate the building
o Slow rain water runoff will be harvested in a 360,000-gallon tank to be reused for irrigation and other needs
o Support photovoltaic solar panel array – 211 Kw solar program located above grand ballroom and offset facility’s electrical costs
Baffles in the ceiling capture the south sun for better natural light in the facility
Efforts have been made to design the building for ease of recycling
Deep overhangs and glazing manage sunlight and shade
Key architectural and engineering features
The roof was built using an innovative “clear span” 40-beam trussed structure, which does not require columns to support it.
o Learned through tvsdesign’s convention center work in China
o Creates large, unobstructed ballrooms (a sought-after feature in convention halls)
tvsdesign created a totally custom carpet design. This carpet design may only be used by the Nashville convention center, which has the rights to the design.
Employment/economic impact
More than 7,300 workers have participated in Music City Center's construction efforts
More than 130 Diversity Business Enterprise program firms were awarded contracts on the project, totaling $124.5 million.
Bell-Clark's workforce development efforts included awarding contracts to:
o 44 minority-owned companies
o 39 woman-owned businesses
o 44 small businesses
More than 100 meetings and 800,000 hotel room nights have already been booked
For more information on tvsdesign, visit www.tvsdesign.com
For more information on Music City Center, visit www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com.
ABOUT TVSDESIGN
tvsdesign is a global design firm whose award-winning solutions reflect more than 40 years of experience in planning, architecture and interior design. With offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dubai and Shanghai, the firm’s passions for design excellence, sustainability and collaboration produce client-driven results. With projects around the globe, tvsdesign is recognized for its work in multiple market segments including convention and public assembly, cultural arts, retail and mixed-use, office, workplace and showroom, education, government and hospitality. The sustainable design experience of the tvsdesign studios encompasses 29 LEED Certified and 15 LEED registered projects. In 2002, tvsdesign was awarded the prestigious American Institute of Architects Firm Award. www.tvsdesign.com
Collaboration among architecture firms tvsdesign, Tuck-Hinton and Moody Nolan, the construction team of Bell/Clark/Harmony and the Nashville mayor’s office led to design cues that incorporate iconic scenes and sounds from Nashville and the state.
“There is a lot of love, care, heart and soul that have gone into this project from all three firms, the construction team and the mayor,” said Andy McLean with tvsdesign, one of the project’s principal architects. “We all wanted to create a landmark that would not only make Nashville proud but also reflect the unique culture of the area.”
That culture can be found inside and out at Music City Center. The $585 million facility’s undulating roof represents the rolling hills of Tennessee and the sound waves that can be overheard by musicians playing in clubs on Broadway, at the Grand Ole Opry or Schermerhorn Center. The wood and curves around the complex draw inspiration from beautifully crafted instruments like guitars, fiddles, mandolins, and pianos. In fact, the ballroom gives guests the feeling of sitting inside an acoustic guitar. (Images available upon request.)
The design and construction incorporates features to benefit visitors and the environment, and Music City Center is seeking LEED Silver Certification. A 175,000-square-foot green roof will insulate the building and slow rain water runoff, which will be harvested in a 360,000-gallon tank to be reused for irrigation and other needs. Baffles in the ceiling will capture the south sun. And every effort has been made to design the building for ease of recycling.
“We wanted to not only make this a landmark structure for Nashville, but we also wanted to show a deep respect for the Tennessee environment,” said Kevin Gordon with tvsdesign, another of the principal architects.
The roof was built using an innovative “clear span” structure, which does not require columns within the halls to support it. Learned through tvsdesign’s extensive convention center work in China, clear span technology creates large, unobstructed assembly halls, a sought-after feature in convention centers.
tvsdesign is a leading designer of convention centers, having worked on three of the largest convention centers in China, which led to many of the innovations at Music City Center. The firm also has worked on four of the United States’ top five convention centers, and others, such as McCormick Place in Chicago, Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Cobo Center in Detroit, the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh and The TEE Center in Augusta, Ga.
tvsdesign also created a custom carpet design inspired by the influence of music to make the meeting rooms, ballrooms and concourses as unique as Nashville. This carpet design may only be used by the Nashville convention center, which has the rights to it.
“You end up with an event space that is open and quite striking,” said Robert Svedberg, another principal architect with tvsdesign. “Those special details are what make this project really stand out, and we relate the large to the small, the human scale to the city streetscapes. There really isn’t anything else like it in either convention centers or hospitality.”
The building spans six large city blocks with a modern exterior glass curtain wall and limestone panels. In all, the new convention center has 60 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, 32 loading docks and a garage for 1,800 vehicles.
Aside from meeting the needs for conventions and meetings, the center features several performance-enhanced extras to give a nod to the region’s burgeoning entertainment industry, including additional rigging and lighting, green rooms and exceptional acoustics. Those extras will be on display during Music City Center’s opening weekend, which includes concerts by Phil Vassar, Sheryl Crow, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Mikky Ekko and The Time Jumpers with Vince Gill.
The new center anchors a 16-acre site just south of Broadway between Fifth and Eighth Avenues and Demonbreun and Korean Veterans’ Boulevard, adjacent to both the Bridgestone Arena and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It’s already serving as an anchor to economic development – more than 100 meetings and 800,000 hotel room nights have been booked.
For more information on Music City Center, visit www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com.
For more photos of the Music City Center visit www.momentsbymoser.zenfolio.com
MUSIC CITY CENTER: AT-A-GLANCE
Overview
Designers: tvsdesign, Moody Nolan and Tuck-Hinton
Construction team: Bell/Clark/Harmony Construction
City sponsor: Mayor and City of Nashville
Cost: $585 million
Public art collection comprised of more than 80 pieces
Key dates and times
Media Day: May 15, 2013, noon to 3 p.m. Central time
Opening Day: May 19, 2013
Mayor’s State of the Metro Speech: May 20, 2013, 10 a.m. – Mayor Karl Dean will present his State of Metro address at Music City Center
Grand Finale Concerts: Evening of May 20, 2013 featuring Sheryl Crow, Phil Vassar, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Mikky Ekko and The Time Jumpers with Vince Gill
By The Numbers
1.2 million square feet facility
Music City Center spans six city blocks
o 60 meeting rooms, 2 grand ballrooms57,500 square feet Grand Ballroom, which seats 6,000 people
The wood and curves around the complex draw inspiration from guitars, fiddles and pianos. In fact, the ballroom gives guests the feeling of sitting inside a grand piano.
1,800-vehicle garage
32 loading docks which are not visible to the street
Four active sides – with Sixth Avenue running underneath the building as a thoroughfareSustainability
Music City Center is seeking LEED Silver Certification
14-acre/175,000-square-foot green roof will:
o Insulate the building
o Slow rain water runoff will be harvested in a 360,000-gallon tank to be reused for irrigation and other needs
o Support photovoltaic solar panel array – 211 Kw solar program located above grand ballroom and offset facility’s electrical costs
Baffles in the ceiling capture the south sun for better natural light in the facility
Efforts have been made to design the building for ease of recycling
Deep overhangs and glazing manage sunlight and shade
Key architectural and engineering features
The roof was built using an innovative “clear span” 40-beam trussed structure, which does not require columns to support it.
o Learned through tvsdesign’s convention center work in China
o Creates large, unobstructed ballrooms (a sought-after feature in convention halls)
tvsdesign created a totally custom carpet design. This carpet design may only be used by the Nashville convention center, which has the rights to the design.
Employment/economic impact
More than 7,300 workers have participated in Music City Center's construction efforts
More than 130 Diversity Business Enterprise program firms were awarded contracts on the project, totaling $124.5 million.
Bell-Clark's workforce development efforts included awarding contracts to:
o 44 minority-owned companies
o 39 woman-owned businesses
o 44 small businesses
More than 100 meetings and 800,000 hotel room nights have already been booked
For more information on tvsdesign, visit www.tvsdesign.com
For more information on Music City Center, visit www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com.
ABOUT TVSDESIGN
tvsdesign is a global design firm whose award-winning solutions reflect more than 40 years of experience in planning, architecture and interior design. With offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dubai and Shanghai, the firm’s passions for design excellence, sustainability and collaboration produce client-driven results. With projects around the globe, tvsdesign is recognized for its work in multiple market segments including convention and public assembly, cultural arts, retail and mixed-use, office, workplace and showroom, education, government and hospitality. The sustainable design experience of the tvsdesign studios encompasses 29 LEED Certified and 15 LEED registered projects. In 2002, tvsdesign was awarded the prestigious American Institute of Architects Firm Award. www.tvsdesign.com
© Moments By Moser Photography * Bev Moser
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