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Federal Courthouse


GaTechGuy

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I was reading an article about Michael Graves (the selected architect for the new Federal Couthouse in Nashville) and noticed a small picture in the margins that turned out to be a picture of "a model of a preliminary design for a federal courthouse in Nashville." Whatever that means. I still found it interesting because I haven't seen any rendering of what the new courthouse might look like. I looked around online for a larger version of the picture but couldn't find one.

The picture:

Graves_courthouse.jpg

From the looks of that picture it would be about 8-11 stories tall (depending on how many floors are hidden by the buildings in the foreground). For those that aren't familiar with the area thats the Main library branch on the bottom left of the picture and the federal court building is the one at the top right.

Here's a pic of what that area looks like now (not quite from the same angle):

image004.jpg

The article:

http://www.princeton.edu/~paw/archive_new/.../features2.html

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WOW!!!! :w00t::wacko::silly::thumbsup:

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the circular front, with that cupola on the lower floor!!! I think it is an AWESOME design and will bring alot of personality to that street!!!!! Wow, Nashville will look AMAZING with this courthouse design.... keeping my fingers crossed that they do not change it!!!

Paula

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I agree, I like it too. It'll be replacing a hideous parking gerage and it will be a nice addition to church street. This is about 3 blocks down from the new Veridian and two blocks from the proposed signature tower site. Church street is really turning into a great place right about now.

The new federal courthouse will be just to the right of this picture.

5886pa_09.jpg

In the middle of that picture is of course the signature tower which may or may not end up happening, but even if it doesn't happen the developer will still be putting a building there just a scaled back one.

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Damn, I didn't know that the new courthouse will front on Church St. That entire area is going to be amazing in a few years...I can remember back when I took some art classes at Watkins and the Cumberland was just beginning construction and the Church Street Centre was still in operation...what a wild change from those times!

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Btw, Church Street is home to some of the best architecture in the city, imo, and the courthouse will be a wonderful addition.

Think about all the important buildings on Church...The L&C Tower, the Courtyard Hotel (oldest highrise in Nashville, I believe), The Financial Center, Nashville Main Library, 5th Ave. Historic district (St. Cloud Corner), Printers Alley, Downtown Presbyterian Church (ever been inside??), the Cumberland Apartments (not architectually impressive, but important), soon to be The Viridian, hopefully the Federal Courthouse, and possibly the 55 story Signature Tower. There is a 3-4 block region of Church Street that is just STACKED with good buildings, and it's only getting better!

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Thanks for posting this. I was getting tired of searching for something, just anything, to give us an idea of what the courthouse might look like. The Church St. side looks great, and I imagine the one 8th will look great, too.

I love how the Graves team has chosen a stately, classical design for this. Church will once again become the foundation for downtown. Buildings such as the ones that already exist, along with the ones planned, add an air of strength and prosperity, not glitz and trendy...which would fade too quickly. Buildings like the library and courthouse will look just as good 100 years from now as they do (and will) now.

I'm not against modernity at all. I'd sure love to see some striking, risky looking buildings thrown into the mix as well.

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Gotta random question that will probably make me sound like an idiot, but on the diagram, what are the other buildings shown? I've been wondering what they are.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

in order from left to right: the l&c tower, the viridian, not too sure, the greek orthodox church?, signature tower, mckindree methodist, the cumberland, and the library. i think i got that right. please someone correct me if i'm wrong.

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Oh, Satalac, for shame, for shame.

The church is the Downtown Presbyterian Church, on that site since 1851. Check out this link, it's a short, but good, description. It also has a picture of the sanctuary, one of Nashville's most unique interiors. There's not too many Greek Revival buildings left in the U.S. This is one of the best examples left. (You got "Greek" part right, lol).

You should make a point to go inside. Go on a Sunday around noon, slip in the door by the Viridian site to the lower level. The man there will give you some cookies. At least he gave ME some cookies. Ha.

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in order from left to right: the l&c tower, the viridian, not too sure, the greek orthodox church?, signature tower, mckindree methodist, the cumberland, and the library. i think i got that right. please someone correct me if i'm wrong.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Everything but the church...its the Downtown Presbyterian Church. If you have never been inside, you must...unlike anything else in town. Cool Egyptian decor on the inside.

http://www.dpchurch.com/

IMAG0295.JPG

IMG_2118.JPG

btn171.jpg

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Oh, Satalac, for shame, for shame.

The church is the Downtown Presbyterian Church, on that site since 1851. Check out this link, it's a short, but good, description. It also has a picture of the sanctuary, one of Nashville's most unique interiors. There's not too many Greek Revival buildings left in the U.S. This is one of the best examples left. (You got "Greek" part right, lol).

You should make a point to go inside. Go on a Sunday around noon, slip in the door by the Viridian site to the lower level. The man there will give you some cookies. At least he gave ME some cookies. Ha.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually the Downtown Presbyterian Church is one of the best examples of EGYPTIAN revival style left in the entire nation...not Greek.

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Oh, Satalac, for shame, for shame.

The church is the Downtown Presbyterian Church, on that site since 1851. Check out this link, it's a short, but good, description. It also has a picture of the sanctuary, one of Nashville's most unique interiors. There's not too many Greek Revival buildings left in the U.S. This is one of the best examples left. (You got "Greek" part right, lol).

You should make a point to go inside. Go on a Sunday around noon, slip in the door by the Viridian site to the lower level. The man there will give you some cookies. At least he gave ME some cookies. Ha.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

:( i should have known that. haha. i've been inside about 10 times on field trips as a kid. haha.

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Gee, my brain has just gone to mush. I knew that. How embarrasing.

Thanks for saving me, rocket!

And Vol, thanks for actually posting the link.

Oh boy, I must be losing it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well the greeks owned egypt for a while right? or something like that? :D

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Gee, my brain has just gone to mush. I knew that. How embarrasing.

Thanks for saving me, rocket!

And Vol, thanks for actually posting the link.

Oh boy, I must be losing it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Haha. No prob, I've done similar things before. At least you weren't stubborn about being wrong. :)

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I know someone who called the general services administration this week. The courthouse renderings will come out soon, and supposedly this one on this thread is nothing like the one they are going to build.

This rendering is not what they are going to do, sorry to be the bringer of bad news folks.

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We won't know if it's bad news until we see the new one. I'm keeping my eyes open for the announcement.

I did talk to the guy who owns the Berger Building on the site. He told me it was going to be enormous, but I guess we knew that already. It'll be interesting to see how it looks. My main hope is an inspiring looking edifice that makes the four long sides of a complete block look really good. Right now, those four sides are void of anything remotely interesting. Nothing particularly interesting has happened on that block since Commerce Street was widened and Junior's, Juanita's and the Jungle all demolished. 'Nuf of dat.

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The courthouse will be built eventually its just a matter of sooner or later. There have been several problems along the way which have slowed this project down a lot. The two main problems are that last year the head architect was partially paralyzed and securing funding for federal projects can be tough right now. However, the very fact that the current federal courthouse is way too small for the amount of cases and business it handles now, means that the courthouse will get built sooner or later. If I'm not mistaken they've already purchased the land so thats at least one step completed.

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