Tennessee State Museum, SE corner of Rosa Parks Blvd. and Jefferson St.

[NashvilleTaylor]

On 1/23/2016 at 5:12 PM, markhollin said:

Here is the layout of the current rendering of the new museum.  Indeed, it does look like there are two entrances. I think the park on the north side, facing the Jefferson st. and Rosa Parks intersection might actually look nice, depending on the facade on the structure on that side. Centering the eastern edge on the 7th Ave. Roundabout will look nice as it faces across the Carillon and to the Tenn. State Archives building which will be centered on the 6th Ave. Roundabout.

 

 

 

I think if that's the plan they should just ditch the roundabout.  What's the point of a roundabout if there are only two points of entry to the circle?.  They should turn it into a regular street section and incorporate the eastern part of the roundabout into the park.  

[NashvilleTaylor]

Actually this is what I would do.  I would alter the pedestrian walkway where it is aligned with the museum, instead of ending at a T intersection with a dead end.  The green areas would be replaced with new trees and the black line of course represents getting rid of the roundabout.

[rookzie]

2 hours ago, PruneTracy said:

Or better yet, move the stupid data center across the street from the garage and build the museum there, as was originally planned.

I would think that the Data Center eventually would go anyway eventually, away from the mall proper ─ just don't know how soon ─ and I would hope therefore that that property would be better utilized than for what it is now.

Then too, the working draft of the recent strategic transit plan proposes a streetcar line along US-41 Rosa Parks Blvd., so whether or not that would fly at all, in part the case made could and should be contingent on incorporating it as a provision for moving people into and away from that proximity.  It also would be an asset the entire Bi-Centennial area, something I have had concerns about from the start, with approval of the ballpark development.  Just saying, not to hijack this topic, but as germane to it.

[markhollin]

Perhaps a trade could be made between the State and Metro where the land of the data center could be given to the city in exchange for the Cumberland Adventure Science Center lot.  The data center space could have a new, modern Center of Science and Industry built there, and the Cumberland space could be turned into a top-flight Civil War Museum that would tie-in nicely with Fort Negley.  The Data Center could be housed in the space being vacated by the Tenn. State Museum in the TPAC building.

[PruneTracy]

7 hours ago, rookzie said:

I would think that the Data Center eventually would go anyway eventually, away from the mall proper ─ just don't know how soon ─ and I would hope therefore that that property would be better utilized than for what it is now.

7 hours ago, markhollin said:

Perhaps a trade could be made between the State and Metro where the land of the data center could be given to the city in exchange for the Cumberland Adventure Science Center lot.  The data center space could have a new, modern Center of Science and Industry built there, and the Cumberland space could be turned into a top-flight Civil War Museum that would tie-in nicely with Fort Negley.  The Data Center could be housed in the space being vacated by the Tenn. State Museum in the TPAC building.

I probably should have elaborated. The state originally endeavored to move completely out of the Capitol Complex Service Center because a) it's in a flood plain; and b) the building has had recurring foundation problems since it was built in the 80s or whenever. To replace it, they planned to build two redundant facilities on existing state-owned land outside of downtown. One, the Tennessee South Service Center, is in Smyrna:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/92+Weakley+Ln,+Smyrna,+TN+37167

I don't know where the other one was supposed to be, but it's apparently not on the ground as the CCSC is still active.

Anyway, it made sense to have the state's data center in the shadow of the Capitol back in the days of terminal servers and dial-up modems, and when it was built there the Bicentennial Mall was only just in the planning stages. Now, it could be in Uzbekistan for all it matters, but certainly a sinking building in a flood plain bookended by a state park and baseball stadium is a less-than-optimal space for data storage.

So I got opinions:

• I'd rather see the museum replace the data center, as previously envisioned, with a design more reflective of the Capitol. This goes for the library and archives, too. If we're going to spend this kind of money on new facilities they should do justice to the Ionic masterpiece that overlooks them, and last just as long too. There's also plenty of room for shared parking for both facilities on that block. (We can design an above-ground Greek Revival garage and call it the Park-enon. Just kidding, unless you like it.)
• Leave the Nashville Farmers' Market pavilions intact to accommodate future growth in market traffic, since Germantown is blowing up with hipster locavores. It also preserves the symmetry of the facility and thus assuages my architectural OCD.
• Save the corner of Eighth and Jefferson for another high-profile institutional project. I think at one point the National Museum of African-American Music was to go somewhere around there. Maybe there's something else that can serve as a bridge between the history of Jefferson Street and the state as a whole.

[MidTenn1]

19 hours ago, PruneTracy said:

Or better yet, move the stupid data center across the street from the garage and build the museum there, as was originally planned.

Yes, most of the computer/server hardware from the data Center has been moved anyway. Someone I know well convinced them it was not smart to have most of the State's critical servers, etc. in a flood prone area. So I understand  the building is indeed no longer essential for that purpose and merely provides office space for various IT staff who could presumably be relocated easily. 

A new TDOT HQ was once proposed for that area some years ago, however, I think that notion was squashed immediately. 

Edited January 27, 2016 by PHofKS

[Griz83]

13 minutes ago, PHofKS said:

Yes, most of the computer/server hardware from the data Center has been moved anyway. Someone I know well convinced them it was not smart to have most of the State's critical servers, etc. in a flood prone area. So I understand  the building is indeed no longer essential for that purpose and merely provides office space for various IT staff who could presumably be relocated easily. 

A new TDOT HQ was once proposed for that area some years ago, however, I think that notion was squashed immediately. 

I work in that building (Data Center North).  I used to be in the TN Tower until they moved us here in 2014.  I actually like working here, being next to the park and all, which we use for walking, frisbee, etc.  I don't want to move back to the tower, or another building, such as Polk.  So, I'll be sad if we move.  But, I digress.  There has been some talk of employees working remotely; so perhaps that is an omen of things to come.  Or, it could just be coincidence.  Time will tell.

[markhollin]

Tennessee State Museum groundbreaking to happen on April 6th. More details in this article from The Tennessean:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2016/03/15/april-groundbreaking-set-tennessee-state-museum/81811726/

[dmillsphoto]

THEY'RE KEEPING THE WAGON!!!

[markhollin]

More details about the museum including possibility of the Fox Trot Carousel being featured.

http://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/20491712/longshelved-tennessee-fox-trot-carousel-could-be-part-of-museum-project
 

[titanhog]

I was hoping they'd place the carousel back downtown somewhere...like maybe the riverside park beside the amphitheater.  But...at least it will be somewhere other than in storage.

[smeagolsfree]

An article in the Scene criticizing the Museum design.

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/safe-and-square-andmdash-thats-the-new-tennessee-state-museum-exterior/Content?oid=6513587

 

[CenterHill]

11 minutes ago, smeagolsfree said:

An article in the Scene criticizing the Museum design.

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/safe-and-square-andmdash-thats-the-new-tennessee-state-museum-exterior/Content?oid=6513587

 

I'm glad Christine weighed in.   It needed to be said.    She is more articulate in architecural critique than many (not all) of us here, but she echoes the same feelings expressed here about the museum design.    The design underachieves its grand purpose. 

[smeagolsfree]

I think she may be a bit harsh. I think there is a needed classical element needed as that is part of the master plan of the Park. Also we have lost so many classical buildings, we need to replace them with some neoclassical ones. This will be more a timeless building vs a style that may not be popular in a hundred years. Not everything needs to be cutting edge, nor does everything have to be neowhatever.-

[volsfanwill]

im ok with not including food, it will be steps away from the farmers market, i see zero problem here, 

however, i did not realize it was smaller than the current space, done museums need to become larger over time? to accommodate you know, the passage of time and therefore more information to display?

and, why not have storage on site?  I remember going to a lock in at the Cumberland Science museum  (yes that is what i still call it)  when i was in about 6th grade, where we got to go into the storage areas. it was really cool. seeing the amount of things that were not on display. 

[BnaBreaker]

I disagree with the Nashville Scene article in that my problem with the design isn't that it doesn't look modern enough.  My problem is that it just doesn't look good enough for what is supposed to be the state's flagship museum.  If you want to do a building that has a classical look to it, then wonderful!  I'm most definitely all for that.  But I would expect for them to then reveal a design that actually looked classical, and not one that looks like the Bridgestone warehouse out in La Vergne..  I'm pleased with the location, and I'm pleased the museum is getting it's own building.  But for $160 million (which, mind you, is nearly as much as the proposed cost of the entirety of the much maligned AMP BRT project which was scuttled at least partly due to cost concerns) I guess I expected them to aim a little higher on the design board than 'beige rectangle.'  It is possible to do understated without also doing bland and boring.

I'll tell ya what, Nashville has really gotten the shaft lately when it comes to our civic buildings.  We had a nice little run there for a little while with the new library and Schermerhorn.  But between the Federal Courthouse proposal and this it has really been a festival of mediocrity, as of late.

Edited March 27, 2016 by BnaBreaker

[Neigeville2]

10 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

I think she may be a bit harsh. I think there is a needed classical element needed as that is part of the master plan of the Park. Also we have lost so many classical buildings, we need to replace them with some neoclassical ones. This will be more a timeless building vs a style that may not be popular in a hundred years. Not everything needs to be cutting edge, nor does everything have to be neowhatever.-

I don't think she's harsh enough.  This thing is an insult to classicism.  More thought goes into most high schools.  Sticking a few blank columns with no bases and no capitals on a gray box with no base and no crown doesn't make a building classical.  This would've looked outdated in 1975.  We should demand our money back.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Neigeville2

[PruneTracy]

16 hours ago, volsfanwill said:

and, why not have storage on site?

This site is only a few feet above the flood plain. Floors below ground level would be inundated in the way the Mall's amphitheatre was in 2010. That being said, this is a lame excuse for not consolidating the museum's collection while providing expansion room, especially since there's a larger state-owned site across the Mall.

As far as the Scene editorial goes, the design is way too modern as it is. We need civic buildings that are built for timelessness, not monuments to architectural fads. This joint should be on the NRHP in 50 years, not getting replaced with the next trendy pile of concrete and cladding because it's falling apart.

[Neigeville2]

One more thing.  As someone pointed out in the Scene comment thread, the architects are quoted in the article talking about how when they designed the columns, they studied the columns of plantation houses like the Hermitage.  For a building to be sited on Jefferson St.  That shows about how much thought they put into this.  

Sorry to go on, but I just can't express how dated and cheap looking I feel this $160,000,000.00 design is.  The Lawrence County courthouse is more impressive. 

[fieldmarshaldj]

3 hours ago, Neigeville2 said:

One more thing.  As someone pointed out in the Scene comment thread, the architects are quoted in the article talking about how when they designed the columns, they studied the columns of plantation houses like the Hermitage.  For a building to be sited on Jefferson St.  That shows about how much thought they put into this.  

Sorry to go on, but I just can't express how dated and cheap looking I feel this $160,000,000.00 design is.  The Lawrence County courthouse is more impressive. 

Lawrence County Courthouse ? D'oh ! That's cold, bro.

[nashvylle]

Sorry if it was mentioned already, but when is construction expected to start?

 

[timmay143]

11 hours ago, fieldmarshaldj said:

Lawrence County Courthouse ? D'oh ! That's cold, bro.

HA!  Looks like my old school UTSI...another unique design shall we say?!

 

[fieldmarshaldj]

^Gee whiz, the 1970s sure was a high point for architecture.

[jmtunafish]

That does look like the hideous Memphis airport terminal.  The new museum proposal isn't much better.

[MidTenn1]

10 hours ago, jmtunafish said:

That does look like the hideous Memphis airport terminal.  The new museum proposal isn't much better.

The airport people call those columns the 'Champagne Flutes'. Seriously. The parking garage, enlarged in the 80's, was kept low to preserve the view. They are proud of their 'iconic' façade.