SunTrust onsite renderings

[it's just dave]

I was downtown this morning and got a couple of shots of the new large signs at the ST site. They really show the glass and marble (or granite or whatever) components well. They also show the impact on the streetscapes and how well this building will fit in with its surroundings. It appears the setbacks are to not hinder the Commerce Street views.

I've thrown in a picture of the hole. This will show those from other places just how much rock Nashville sits on. It's solid limestone only a few feet underground.

And, for fun, here's the site of the ICON in the Gulch. That 21-story tower will look really good right there.

[Skyscrapergeek]

Ok Dave, you were right about the design. Not nearly as bad as I had thought. I actually like it a lot and it doesn't crowd the Ryman like I thought it would either. Should blend in with the Bell South building nicely. Thanks for the pics.

[Hankster]

Thanks from me as well, Dave. These renderings look much better than one's I've seen previously. It should be a really nice building. There's going to be some awesome views from the upper floors of the ICON, IMO. I can't wait to see that one rise as well. Let's get the dirt moving!

[sleepy]

I don't think it looks bad at all. I'd read earlier posts criticizing the design. Maybe this is a newer/better rendering.

That limestone is amazing. Though it must be tough digging through it, perhaps in Nashville construction, money is saved by having a structurally strong natural foundation.

[ariesjow]

The tower looks nice if not a bit demure (as it probably should be given its location). I do see some of elements of Bell South in it's design. I think it'll look great next to the Ryman thanks to the setbacks.

[showtime21]

Ok, will they change commerce to a one way street. The picture at the top show three lanes of traffic going the same direction. Also, I like the tower and the streetscape looks great also.

[it's just dave]

Commerce will remain two-way. It's a wide street anyway; the building is set back to allow curb cuts and a turn lane onto 4th.

I'm hoping several more streets will become two-way. The opening of Church as two-way has already provided new routes in and around the city. Third Avenue was done the same way and helps a lot. I do like Second being a one way street; it seems to calm traffic where tourist can go slowly in the right lane and I can pass them on the left. That works for me.

I think the BellSouth base is polished Italian granite and the colors are chosen to blend with the with the colors of the historic structures nearby, especially the Ryman, opened in 1891. I'm ready for this one. I've hated that parking lot it's replacing for a long, long time.

Most of you don't remember Commerce Street as it was anyway. The Greyhound Station, seedy bars, Junior's, the Jungle, Juanita's, an adult bookstore, the Sam Davis Hotel, etc. It was an amazingly interesting, dingy, derelict-looking place and quite fascinating at that. The characters were storybook urban relics. Oh well, the spit-polish look of the place is rather nice...and much safer.

[Rural King]

Awesome pics there Dave! Those renderings of the SunTrust tower are much sharper than the previous ones, and now I'm quite excited to see this tower get completed and added into the skyline and streetscape. I think it will fit it perfectly with the area.

The ICON will be a nice touch for its area, and I think thats probably an understatment. LOL

[Lexy]

Thanks Dave for the heads up picture taking job!

The renderings look awesome. I like the glass and the streetlevel facade. Looks a lot better than the earlier renderings.

[Hankster]

Thanks Dave for the heads up picture taking job!

The renderings look awesome. I like the glass and the streetlevel facade. Looks a lot better than the earlier renderings.

I guess that's what I like best in the new SunTrust renderings. It's got so much more glass than I had originally thought. The finished product is going to really look good.

[Kheldane]

Suntrust looks great! Thanks for taking those pictures Dave!

I'm really excited/curious to see how this tower will modify the skyline. I haven't yet seen a distant skyline shot with this tower drawn in, but I'm hoping it will add at least a little skyline density when viewing the skyline from the east bank over by the stadium. If it does, then its impact on the skyline will be very noticeable. What always bothered me about the east bank shot of downtown was that there was nothing "connecting" the bellsouth tower to the rest of the downtown cluster. Hopefully Viridian and Suntrust will fill some key gaps in the east bank view and give the south side of downtown almost the same look of density as the Union Street corridor.

Suntrust will also improve the view from the south side/rutledge hill area, but unfortunately, I'm guessing it will be almost invisible from the west side because renaissance blocks it...

Any other thoughts about how the final product will affect the skyline??

[memphian]

I don't think this tower will be visible at all from the East Bank. The BellSouth Bldg. should hide it. you should be able to see it from I-40 and I-65 northbound (right south of downtown). I think that is one of the best views anyway - the city almost seems as if you could reach out and touch it when driving up from the 100 Oaks area.

[linclink]

I really like this buiding alot!! And I too disliked the original renderings... it looks so Florida to me.. in fact it looks alot like a building we have down here.. but still I think it will fit in to the skyline, and will brighten it up some!! Can't wait to see it completed!!!

[smeagolsfree]

I do not have a picture from this vantage, but from the War Memorial Plaza, The Suntrust Building will fill in a big hole from that view. It sort of closes in the buildingscape around that site. The only clear view will be straight down Deadrick.

[Hankster]

When is the expected completion date for the SunTrust? Will construction go into 2007?

[it's just dave]

Okay folks, we need your imaginations for this, but here's my quickie Photoshop job of putting the ST in a couple of views. I think the building will be most striking traveling west on the Gateway Bridge. The other will be from standing in SoBro somewhere. Oh well, it was a quickie.

[sleepy]

Most of you don't remember Commerce Street as it was anyway. The Greyhound Station, seedy bars, Junior's, the Jungle, Juanita's, an adult bookstore, the Sam Davis Hotel, etc. It was an amazingly interesting, dingy, derelict-looking place and quite fascinating at that. The characters were storybook urban relics. Oh well, the spit-polish look of the place is rather nice...and much safer.

Hey, I remember Commerce, as does my wife who used to stop off for a drink or two whilst changing buses enroute from Owensboro to New Orleans.

[Kheldane]

Good Job Dave! Although, I think Suntrust will look even taller from this view, I notice you made it the same height as the Chamber of Commerce/Caremark building (which is also 13 stories), but suntrust will be up on a pretty high hill compared to that building, which should make it look 3 or 4 stories taller in the view above ---- just a guess though, am I right to think this?

EDIT: Wait,,, is Caremark 13 or 15 stories?

[it's just dave]

I believe Carmark is only 11. I thought about that after I'd flattened the file.

Taller-looking=good. lol

[Lexy]

Dave I think you did a great job here buddy. I am really excited about the first picture. That will be awesome looking when it gets done!

[Boisefan]

I like the new design much better than the last one, and it will fit in nicely in Nashville

[doormanpoet]

The date of completion is December 2007, or January 2008. It will take over a year just to construct the skeleton, and another year for the guts and the skin. Sorry for the medical metaphors here!

BTW, I saw a skyline rendition in the brochure for this building. It does look rather dense in the skyline view, but hardly tall at all. It looks about the same as the Caremark building. It will have more of a street level effect because it takes up a whole block.

[barakat]

Is the height of the crane on the SunTrust site indicative of the final height of the building? I was wondering that today when I drove by it. Or will it be pushed higher up as needed?

[Hankster]

The date of completion is December 2007, or January 2008. It will take over a year just to construct the skeleton, and another year for the guts and the skin. Sorry for the medical metaphors here!

BTW, I saw a skyline rendition in the brochure for this building. It does look rather dense in the skyline view, but hardly tall at all. It looks about the same as the Caremark building. It will have more of a street level effect because it takes up a whole block.

Based on that timeframe, it sounds like they plan to use a relatively small crew on the project. If the crew is big enough, they should be able to construct a floor a week just like the Viridian. It would take a large crew to do that due to the fact that the floors are a whole block. This thing's going to take as long as the Viridian project even though the Viridian is 31 floors and SunTrust is only 13.

Still it is a good looking project, but I wish I won't have to wait so long for it's completion.

[Lexy]

^ Odd. There is a similar building that was recently completed in downtown Omaha, NB. It is the HQ for Union Pacific railroad and it is one of those hulky, 'block-wide/block-tall' buildings. They, if done right, are very impressive at the street level.