Nashville's most beautiful building

[NewTowner]

Everything you say has merit and reflects a well-conceived passion for the future of Nashville. I guess the only two points in your argument that I would like to dive into--not because I feel capable of challenging them, per se, but rather because I am hungry for some elaboration--are below:

1) When you say the design of the Signature Tower is "in your face," whose face do you have in mind? I know this might seem like I am peddling semantics, but I think this is a valid question...whose restraining conventions and artistic hesitations does the Signature Tower act in bold opposition to?

2) I agree completely that the tower probably couldn't be an elaborate episode in Deconstructionist Fancy-Pants due to budget limitations (and I am grateful for this)--but to argue that buildings cannot be ornamented and beautiful due to economics is to deny the fact that countless societies from different places and times with only a fraction of the immense wealth we have at our disposal somehow have managed (and continue to manage) the creation of places worthy of respect and affection. For example, the Nashvillians of 1905 produced an unbelievably high number of gorgeous buildings. They were ambitious, organized, optimistic, and understood the vocabulary of the classics and the need for decorum in the public realm. Nashvillians of today, despite a century's worth of steady increase in both private and public wealth, tend to produce things which are either really big, really ugly, or both. The Schermerhorn marks an outstanding departure from this nasty trap--as did the Bicentennial Mall, the Public Library, and other recent glories--but I am not convinced the Signature Tower represents anything but more half-effort typical of our affluent but somewhat aimless times. Progress, rather than beauty...quantity, rather than quality...mass, rather than movement. I feel like the building has nothing intelligent to say and so all we can praise is the volume in which it speaks.

But I must confess...you are right when you say it will bring a lot of people downtown...and that, in the end, is our greatest need. And I honestly would not say these exceptionally critical things out in the general public because I believe our downtown needs some cheerleading. I am so grateful that anything is happening at all that I would not tarnish any element of it where sceptics and naysayers may be eavesdropping. It is only to you good people on this forum that I would speak so harshly about such a huge city-center project...because it is more like criticizing your sister to your brother, as we are something of a family here in Nashville's Urban Planet firestorm.

[bnaflyer]

Very perceptive comments by all. I agree wholeheartedly that the courthouse design is abysmal. It's really unfortunate, because I have been in some recently constructed federal courthouses in other parts of the country that are architecturally interesting.

As somewhat of a traditionalist myself, I don't get too upset by Nashville's cautious approach to architecture, but even I wish that someone would occasionally push the envelope a little bit. Surely there's room for some good modern architecture here!

[Hankster]

1) When you say the design of the Signature Tower is "in your face," whose face do you have in mind? I know this might seem like I am peddling semantics, but I think this is a valid question...whose restraining conventions and artistic hesitations does the Signature Tower act in bold opposition to?

All I meant by "in your face" was the sheer bold height of the structure will make it prominent to just about anyone in the downtown area. Also, it very boldly juts straight up from street level with very little set back.