222 2nd Ave. South, 25 Stories|305 Feet, 391,000 sq. ft., $100 million

[markhollin]

Steve Johnson, the executive VP of Gresham Smith & Partners (Nashville-based company that offer architecture, engineering, land planning and interior design services) participated in a wide-ranging interview about development in downtown Nashville in today's Nashville Post.  Here are a few thoughts he had about 222 2nd Ave. South, which they designed and where they will be one of the primary tenants:

"With nearly all of its space leased before it even opens, the 222 building is shaping up to be a huge success by any economic measure. Buildings are also judged by how they engage with their surroundings, which is why we worked very closely with Hines and C.B. Ragland to take advantage of every opportunity for street-level activation. There will be nearly 25,000 square feet of ground-floor restaurants, cafes and lobbies that feature rich and textured facades.  222’s focus is on people and interactions, which I think is a very successful approach."

The full interview is here:

http://www.nashvillepost.com/business/people/article/20978469/weve-carefully-studied-vehicular-and-pedestrian-pathways

[NashRugger]

They may've gotten street activation right, but the design is just not that great. I mean, if you're going to do a glass box, emulate KPMG Plaza at Hall Arts in Dallas. Granted it has a curve in it's northwestern facade.

[nashvylle]

This building is great for provided Nashville with true Class A office space, but it fails miserably on being iconic for our riverfront. 

[TNinVB]

That exterior lighting is so cool. Why can't we get something like that??? Heck the Omni doesn't even light up their facade anymore. 

[Pdt2f]

10 minutes ago, TNinVB said:

That exterior lighting is so cool. Why can't we get something like that??? Heck the Omni doesn't even light up their facade anymore. 

That's what I've been wondering. A mediocre design can be completely redeemed if it has an awesome exterior lightening scheme. That's honestly what kind of helps the Westin to not be a complete eyesore, IMO. By day it's an abomination but at night the colorful lighting of the top level really makes the skyline pop. 

[titanhog]

I hope the JWM has a great light scheme.  It will look awesome at day...and awesome at night.

[markhollin]

Gresham, Smith & Partners shows its new offices at 222 2nd:
 

[Pdt2f]

[dReAmWiELdEr]

Gresham, Smith & Partners shows its new offices at 222 2nd:
 

No offense to anyone who opposes my point of view, but YUCK!!!

It looks completely unfinished, and I'm not even referring to the (overused) exposed industrial ceiling motif (which in my opinion is way past it's prime now. To me it is no longer "chic" at all.)


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[smeagolsfree]

The mint green stripe absolutely makes me physically sick. The only thing this building  is, is infill and needed height and those are the only good point. The rest of it sucks.

[NissanvilleTitans]

I absolutely agree. Height and infill. And I agree with TNinVB. Any lighting even remotely close to the Dallas building would help a lot.

[Guest]

I'd like it a lot more if it didn't completely block from the river one of Nashville's two buildings with any sort of curve on them (The Sobro). 

The Sobro looks like it belongs on the Florida Coast. It isn’t beautiful just because it has curves. I find it rather hideous.


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[bigeasy]

10 hours ago, NoChesterHester said:

The Sobro looks like it belongs on the Florida Coast. It isn’t beautiful just because it has curves. I find it rather hideous.

 

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Hideous is a pretty strong word. If you think that is hideous, then you must dislike a big chunk of our skyline 

[Guest]

Hideous is a pretty strong word. If you think that is hideous, then you must dislike a big chunk of our skyline 

Ok true. Perhaps a bit hyperbolic.

However, I don’t care for the building and don’t think it fits into its surroundings. It isn’t a strong enough object building to stand on its own as iconic. When the rest of the lots around it fill in and I just becomes part of the fabric I will have zero objection.

[chris holman]

The sobro has character and thought put into the architecture unlike everything else that normally gets built in Nashville  

[NashvilleObserver]

7 hours ago, chris holman said:

The sobro has character and thought put into the architecture unlike everything else that normally gets built in Nashville  

I love the curves on SoBro, and I wish the 222 bldg and the SoBro could've swapped places. However, I will say that from across the river, the window detail on 222 distracts from its vulgar parking garage. Of course, if you are at street level, or at the Ascend, it's rather garish, but from the Nissan Stadium area or from the interstate, it really isn't that displeasing. 

[AronG]

I dunno, I was over there this weekend at Cumberland park with the kiddos and I think the parking garage stands out like a sore thumb:

[NashRugger]

It literally looks like one of those triple ad billboards that has the rotating triangle sections for the ads and it got stuck. This was before digital billboards became affordable and commonplace.

[BnaBreaker]

I really have no problem with the 'zebra stripe' design on the parking garage in and of itself.  It's different.  In fact, I kinda like it because it breaks up the monotony of the boring blue glass surrounding it... on the other hand, I'm torn, because it really clashes with the boring blue glass surrounding it.  lol

[titanhog]

1 hour ago, NashRugger said:

It literally looks like one of those triple ad billboards that has the rotating triangle sections for the ads and it got stuck. This was before digital billboards became affordable and commonplace.

That would actually be better if it WAS one of those rotating billboards.  We'd have something different to look at every few seconds.

[Pyramid Scheme]

Also, 222, Sobro and Bridgestone are the exact same height.

[markhollin]

The restaurant/club/rooftop bar feature.  This is going to be immensely popular locale, especially on nights when Ascend Amphitheater has concerts. 

Looking east from Riverfront Park across 1st Ave. South:

 

Looking SW from intersection of 1st Ave. South and Demonbreun:

 

Looking south from Demonbruen:

 

Looking west from 1st Ave. South:

[bigeasy]

Is this the building where the Pharmacy was going in?

[Nash_12South]

4 hours ago, bigeasy said:

Is this the building where the Pharmacy was going in?

It’s a new concept, from the Pharmacy folks. I don’t think it’s this space though.

[satalac]

On 10/10/2017 at 2:22 PM, markhollin said:

Gresham, Smith & Partners shows its new offices at 222 2nd:
 

My dad was a partner at GS&P and worked there for 40 years (recently retired). I remember their first building on State Street, their offices on West End, their offices in City Center and this just looks like some hipster coffee spot. City Center was my favorite, but they were somewhat limited with their space. I really wish they did something more like what they designed in China: