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

[donNdonelson2]

I have to think that the numerous successful neighborhood farmers markets AND the many CSA home delivery options are having an impact on foot traffic at the Nashville Farmers Market. Eventually, I believe, the focus should shift to a "public market" concept, after the fashion of those in Seattle, Milwaukee, etc. (whether it stays put or moves location).

http://www.nashvillelifestyles.com/restaurants/a-guide-to-nashvilles-csa-programs

[rookzie]

2 hours ago, Vrtigo said:

A few quick snaps of the Farmer's Market TN State Museum progress as I was driving by. I'm sure @markhollin or another of our intrepid photographers will be along soon to provide some greater detail:

I would do so, since I work only a block away on those flatlands, but I'm just too lazy to focus (on the camera, that is).
-==-

[CenterHill]

just snapped this from my office window.   used my phone on zoom so not great quality, but you can see the current state of excavation.   

 

[markhollin]

State Museum excavation and Farmer's Market north sheds demo continues.

 

[MidTenn1]

Well, there goes my ball game parking. 

[markhollin]

The razing of most of the northern sheds at the Farmer's Market is done, preparing the way for the parking and south end of the new Tennessee State Museum.

[markhollin]

From Nashville Post today: 

The state of Tennessee has landed a permit related to foundation work for its under-construction state museum at the Bicentennial Mall. Turner Construction Co. is handling the work, with the permit valued at about $1.25 million.

[Nashville Cliff]

I got a sneak peak at several new exterior and interior renderings of the new museum this afternoon.  EOA and their partners have done a tremendous job.  Expect to see the renderings made public after a press conference this Wednesday.

The design does a spectacular job addressing both Rosa L. Parks and 7th Ave, especially considering how, because of the need to protect the exhibits, museums have to limit the use of windows. It still manages a two story window overlooking a drop off and grand staircase on RLP, not to mention the stunning, two story curved grand hall on the SE corner of the building (which includes a veranda on the second floor).  The loading dock and mechanicals (sunken) are screened and hidden on the Jefferson side.  That side, which is where any future expansion would go, still manages a large window overlooking a nature trail and several trees.   The exterior will include limestone, grey Tennessee marble, and some precious metal trim (copper or aluminum).  The marble will also appear on the interior.  The building will only be two stories, but will look much taller because the first floor will be 24' high and the second will be 26' high.  It will be 140,000 sq. ft.

The interior has two main corridor axes, one E-W, with line of sight from RLP through to the carillon.  The planned new state library on the other side of the mall is also supposed to be on that axis.  The other interior axis is off-canter from true north in order to offer a site line to the state Capitol.  In addition to the windows, there will be sky lights bringing diffused light into the corridors.  There are a number of really nice interior details, my favorite being a passion flower motif worked into one of the rotundas.

[Nashtitans]

35 minutes ago, Nashville Cliff said:

I got a sneak peak at several new exterior and interior renderings of the new museum this afternoon.  EOA and their partners have done a tremendous job.  Expect to see the renderings made public after a press conference this Wednesday.

The design does a spectacular job addressing both Rosa L. Parks and 7th Ave, especially considering how, because of the need to protect the exhibits, museums have to limit the use of windows. It still manages a two story window overlooking a drop off and grand staircase on RLP, not to mention the stunning, two story curved grand hall on the SE corner of the building (which includes a veranda on the second floor).  The loading dock and mechanicals (sunken) are screened and hidden on the Jefferson side.  That side, which is where any future expansion would go, still manages a large window overlooking a nature trail and several trees.   The exterior will include limestone, grey Tennessee marble, and some precious metal trim (copper or aluminum).  The marble will also appear on the interior.  The building will only be two stories, but will look much taller because the first floor will be 24' high and the second will be 26' high.  It will be 140,000 sq. ft.

The interior has two main corridor axes, one E-W, with line of sight from RLP through to the carillon.  The planned new state library on the other side of the mall is also supposed to be on that axis.  The other interior axis is off-canter from true north in order to offer a site line to the state Capitol.  In addition to the windows, there will be sky lights bringing diffused light into the corridors.  There are a number of really nice interior details, my favorite being a passion flower motif worked into one of the rotundas.

It's the same as the one already shown (this one) or did they change it? You did say new renderings.

[Nashville Cliff]

38 minutes ago, Nashtitans said:

It's the same as the one already shown (this one) or did they change it? You did say new renderings.

That view is the same.  I saw several additional interior and exterior renderings.

[rookzie]

I really believe, with little or no doubt, that the museum will be created with a choice of beautiful materials, without having to emulate the Taj Mahal on one extreme, while not having to settle for the modesty of a giant "arch bow" abutting concrete piers over railway tracks.  Whatever it ends up being, I hope that it's concluded styling can transcend normal vacillations of architectural trending.  All great museums have spaces for conservation, preparation and stabilization of materials and artifacts for storage and display, and for transport, one archetypal, if not quintessential example being the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.  I just hope that some form of major expansion is pre-incorporated into the structure(s), in the interest of long-range options and amendable ordinances, if a compelling need arises to additionally develop thematic arrangements as specialized galleries, long after most of us are gone or dead.  I also realize that the State Bi-Centennial Mall as a whole might bear height constraints, to an extent, to protect the view from the State House.

Edited September 20, 2016 by rookzie

[UTgrad09]

Cliff - thank you for the very detailed description of the museum plans! It seems this will be a project we will be proud of -- which SHOULD be the case with something like a museum. I'm excited now!

[markhollin]

Thanks for the excellent update, Nashville Cliff, and the thoughtful analysis, Rookzie.

Update shots from a few weeks ago of the work at the museum site.

Looking north along Rosa Parks Blvd:

 

Looking SW from corner of Jefferson and 7th Avenue North:

[markhollin]

Updated design on Tennessee State Museum.

http://www.nashvillepost.com/business/tourism/media-gallery/20834456/a-new-look-for-tennessee-state-museum

 

[VSRJ]

Can someone explain how the farmers market will continue to exist (coexist) with the museum? I'm having a hard time understanding how there will be enough space left to handle vendors.

[PruneTracy]

57 minutes ago, markhollin said:

Updated design on Tennessee State Museum.

It's an improvement over the previous iteration, but I still think the state is short-changing themselves on the architecture.

45 minutes ago, VSRJ said:

Can someone explain how the farmers market will continue to exist (coexist) with the museum? I'm having a hard time understanding how there will be enough space left to handle vendors.

The south pavilion and part of the north will remain; I don't make a habit of going over there during peak times but it never seems at capacity otherwise. Whether future growth in the area will change that, I don't know.

[Nashtitans]

wish they'd just have underground parking.

[donNdonelson2]

I think the vast majority of people who visit the museum arrive via school bus. There are not tens of thousands of tourists who flock to a state history museum! The museum and the farmers market can live peacefully in the same sector of the city and share parking. IMHO

[bigeasy]

I like the old rendering more. This one just reminds me of a high school gymnasium. Do people in the city not know how to step out of the box? I feel like I am negative about everything on here. I don't know if that speaks more about my personality or the proposals. Maybe I just hyped myself up to much after reading what Nashville Cliff said. 

[Nashtitans]

Just now, bigeasy said:

I like the old rendering more. This one just reminds me of a high school gymnasium. Do people in the city not know how to step out of the box? I feel like I am negative about everything on here. I don't know if that speaks more about my personality or the proposals. Maybe I just hyped myself up to much after reading what Nashville Cliff said. 

Nah man you right. For some reasons designers in this city never want to step out the box and do something special. We always get something cookie cutter. No negativity just facts

[UTgrad09]

11 hours ago, bigeasy said:

I like the old rendering more. This one just reminds me of a high school gymnasium. Do people in the city not know how to step out of the box? I feel like I am negative about everything on here. I don't know if that speaks more about my personality or the proposals. Maybe I just hyped myself up to much after reading what Nashville Cliff said. 

I'm not nuts about the design, but I don't think the rendering will do it proper justice considering the building materials. 

I do think just adding a cornice or some type of decorative (but not flashy) trim design would do a lot for this building, though.

[AUNash]

I'm not nuts about this new design either, particularly what looks like a really underwhelming entrance.

Old school I suppose, but I wish the TN museum was in a grand old building like the Alabama Dept. Of Archives and History in Montgomery, which includes the AL state museum. (Pics below).

[markhollin]

Foundation work beginning on north end of the State Museum site.  

Looking SE from the corner of Jefferson Street and 7th Avenue North:

 

Looking NW from near the Carillon Roundabout on 7th Avenue North:

 

Looking west from near the Carillon Roundabout on 7th Avenue North:

[Canuck87]

Aerial shot of the museum site with the downtown in the background.

[titanhog]

^^What's that huge warehouse across Rosa Parks from the Farmer's Market?