Signature Tower

[gaushell]

I was wondering if anyone was able to view a larger version of the different renderings in the gallery section of the Signature website. All of the pictures are small and when I click on them nothing happens so I was wondering if that was just normal. I really want to get a better close up of the renderings.

Should automatically run a script to start a viewer that shows them enlarged. Works in both Opera and IE from my house and at the office.

Please tell me what browser and platform. I'll look into it.

[Hankster]

I've done a little studying to determine in a little more detail just what is the price of living in this supertall residential tower. Here's what I found out.

On levels 16 thru 37, there are 220 condos for sale. Their average square footage are 1,122 Sq Ft heated, and 1,186 Sq Ft including balconies. Average cost to live in one of the units: $452,600. That works out to $403 per Sq Ft.

On levels 40 thru 54, there are 120 condos for sale. Their average square footage are 1,444 Sq Ft heated, and 1,523 Sq Ft including balconies. Average cost to live in one of the units: $710,000. That works out to $492 per Sq Ft.

On levels 55 thru 58, there are 16 condos for sale. Their average square footage are 2,950 Sq Ft heated, and 3,045 Sq Ft including balconies. Average cost to live in one of the units: $1,510,000. That works out to $512 per Sq Ft.

I'm not sure, but these may be the highest condo prices in Nashville on a square footage basis. But, of course, no condo units in Nashville have near the views that these have, plus Tony Giarratana is offering the luxuries that come with a Boutique hotel as well. I would imagine that these prices are quite reasonable (maybe even "low") when compared to other very tall downtown condos towers in other cities.

Finally, if Tony Giarratana is successful in selling these 356 units on 40 floors of his more than 50 floors of condos, he will have raised approximately $209 Million dollars.

[cheeriokid61]

Plus, when you add the penthouses, which will surely cost more than 5 million each, he could possibly have made $275 million before he even factors in the hotel and retail.

Also, I noticed that cheapest unit is $301K. That means I could afford it! But I would move from about 3,000 square feet and four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, to 872 square feet and 1 bedroom, 1.5 baths. Hmmm. I'll wait until I can afford a penthouse.

Qaushell, how many penthouses will be on floors 60-62? Is it one or two?

[gaushell]

Plus, when you add the penthouses, which will surely cost more than 5 million each, he could possibly have made $275 million before he even factors in the hotel and retail.

Also, I noticed that cheapest unit is $301K. That means I could afford it! But I would move from about 3,000 square feet and four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, to 872 square feet and 1 bedroom, 1.5 baths. Hmmm. I'll wait until I can afford a penthouse.

Qaushell, how many penthouses will be on floors 60-62? Is it one or two?

I'd rather not address questions like that since they are public yet. Hope you understand.

[southsideJ]

Did anyone see The Tennessean today? They had a story on MDHA giving its approval to Signature's new design and height. They showed a rendering that looked like the very first Signature rendering. I was worried at first that there had been another major redesign or something, but it was obviously a mistake. The Tennessean's website doesn't have the picture that was in the actual paper and they make no mention of a mistake.

[southsideJ]

What an embarassing mistake

[cheeriokid61]

I'd rather not address questions like that since they are public yet. Hope you understand.

I do.

And does anyone know when they will start selling these units? I know that he had orinally planned to start in September, but I recently heard that it would start today. I'm pretty sure that person was wrong. But why would Tony wait for 5 months longer than he really needs to, when he could start selling units next month? It seems to me he wants to get this out of the ground as soon as possible.

[gaushell]

I do.

And does anyone know when they will start selling these units? I know that he had orinally planned to start in September, but I recently heard that it would start today. I'm pretty sure that person was wrong. But why would Tony wait for 5 months longer than he really needs to, when he could start selling units next month? It seems to me he wants to get this out of the ground as soon as possible.

Actually started late yesterday when we posted the site. Will be officially kicked off at Steeple Chase tonight.

Reservation form is downloadable from the registration page. You can get all of the details on downpayment, etc.

[cheeriokid61]

Oh wow. A little ahead of schedule, I guess then? Is construction still planned on starting in January, or has it moved up too? How are the sales going so far?

[gaushell]

Oh wow. A little ahead of schedule, I guess then? Is construction still planned on starting in January, or has it moved up too? How are the sales going so far?

This is right on schedule. I believe the plan is to actually take contracts in September. This is a fairly typical stepped process - registration, reservation, contract.

I'm sure an official schedule will come out in the near future.

[cheeriokid61]

Ahhh...contracts. That explains it. Thanks.

[J0e]

Here's an interesting AJC article comparing Nashville v. Atlanta for the south's tallest building.

[bruceman]

Should automatically run a script to start a viewer that shows them enlarged. Works in both Opera and IE from my house and at the office.

Please tell me what browser and platform. I'll look into it.

I got it to work. Thanks anyways

[Lukin]

Here's an interesting AJC article comparing Nashville v. Atlanta for the south's tallest building.

Hey I have a question for all you skyscraper people....I had always thought (from reading this site) that Charlotte's BOA was the tallest building in the south...but this article - as well as diagrams on Skyscraperpage - show Atlanta as having the tallest buildings. Why is Charlotte's building so revered when atlanta has several taller buildings?

Sorry if this sounds stupid to people, but I am new to the south and pretty much know only what I read on this site...

[ATLBrain]

Why is Charlotte's building so revered when atlanta has several taller buildings?

Because this is Urbanplanet.

Sorry if this sounds stupid to people, but I am new to the south and pretty much know only what I read on this site...

You really should get out more.

[Hankster]

Here's an interesting AJC article comparing Nashville v. Atlanta for the south's tallest building.

It's very possible that Signature Tower will spark a building boom of supertall skyscrapers in hte South. If it does, I'll be more than happy. Before long, I believe the South will be widely considered the the most desirable region in America to live.

[southsideJ]

Here's an interesting AJC article comparing Nashville v. Atlanta for the south's tallest building.

Wow, it looks like Signature is even making Atlanta jealous. Pardon me for saying this but the article sounds pathetic. The article actually describes Giarratana's proposal as him, "threatening to erect the tallest building in the South." Threatening? Does Tony have a gun pointed at someone? I never would have expected Atlanta, GA to be so insecure. That's the way it sounds with the reporter taking a few pot shots at Nashville portraying it as some sort of cowtown.

[city watcher]

Man i hope that is'nt the "New Look" Signature Tower because if it is, I dont think that would be a good fit for the skyline of Nashville. Its to d..m bland. Nashville need some lights to bring it out at night and without the spire or whatever you call it at the top, that would take away some of the height. If you have,nt seen the picture, look in todays tennessean, the business section @ the bottom of the page and tell me what you think!!!

[gaushell]

Man i hope that is'nt the "New Look" Signature Tower because if it is, I dont think that would be a good fit for the skyline of Nashville. Its to d..m bland. Nashville need some lights to bring it out at night and without the spire or whatever you call it at the top, that would take away some of the height. If you have,nt seen the picture, look in todays tennessean, the business section @ the bottom of the page and tell me what you think!!!

What picture did they use? It has lights at the top of the crown - both uplighting and the "diamond" at the very top of the spire.

The newest images are on the website.

www.SignatureTowerNashville.com - go to the gallery.

[satalac]

Man i hope that is'nt the "New Look" Signature Tower because if it is, I dont think that would be a good fit for the skyline of Nashville. Its to d..m bland. Nashville need some lights to bring it out at night and without the spire or whatever you call it at the top, that would take away some of the height. If you have,nt seen the picture, look in todays tennessean, the business section @ the bottom of the page and tell me what you think!!!

that's a picture of the old concept.

[ATLBrain]

Hey, man, let me tell you... Atlanta is the birthplace of civic insecurity. Since way back before my daddy was born, earlier generations pumped up Atlanta all over the country for the sake of business. Since then we've been primping (and pimping sometimes too) for Northern money. More than one hundred years later, we still are.

Not surprisingly, the biggest and most obnoxious cheerleaders were (and still are) the wretched newspapers here. Oops, I meant newspaper.

We even called ourselves "the city too busy to hate" just in case there were any Yankees who would dare confuse us with the rest of the South. (Ha Ha)

Eventually, it got to the point where llittle babies were told that they weren't just Southern... they were Atlantans by the grace of God. Most of us got to where we actually believed it "no matter what anybody said to the contrary."

So yes, my friend, "we" are quite used to thinking that we are the greatest in the South. So, if some other upstart thinks that they're going to build something nice (e.g. Chattanooga and its aquarium), then by God, we're going to show up all those little towns with our hugenormous aquarium. And it didn't "make no never mind" that we're 100 miles from the closest navigable river... and even farther from the ocean. "We'll show them."

I guess we're just an example of having so much ambition that we never really realized what we had to begin with. Now we don't have many of our grandest hotels and theaters ever built... not to mention (but I will anyway) all the character and density our downtown used to have. Yes, we'll try to rebuild some of those old buildings, but bigger and flashier. Sadly, they especially look like cheap imitations of the original. Ironic, that the Fox was saved only because it was slated for demolition.

Gosh, I'm ranting. But we have great shopping

[NewTowner]

My wife noticed and verbally revealed how silly the classical music is on the Signature Tower website--after all, the building itself is about as classical as a cellphone-ringer rendition of Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body."

I mean, I really can't bring myself to rain on everybody's parade with the Big Hooty-Hoo SIG T!! but I just can't take the musical dishonesty. You have to have at least one pilaster and no more than twelve floors before you are allowed to bust out the Bach.

Let the hateful hate responses hatefully begin...Unleash, Skyscraper Playas!!

[gaushell]

My wife noticed and verbally revealed how silly the classical music is on the Signature Tower website--after all, the building itself is about as classical as a cellphone-ringer rendition of Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body."

I mean, I really can't bring myself to rain on everybody's parade with the Big Hooty-Hoo SIG T!! but I just can't take the musical dishonesty. You have to have at least one pilaster and no more than twelve floors before you are allowed to bust out the Bach.

Let the hateful hate responses hatefully begin...Unleash, Skyscraper Playas!!

Since we are the ones producing it and working per Tony's desires I would obviously disagree. Music is about creating a mood, not trying to match an architectural style.

You need to understand that all of the marketing materials are focused on views and ellegance. That particular video is focused on a large demographic for the building - the 50-somethings.

The next video will have more upbeat music as did the trailer last fall. Again, not matching the architecture but the pace and focus of the video.

It is about mood. A differnent track changes the entire perception of the video and can make it feel rushed or slow it down.

Everyone has an opinion about music and yours is valid, but now you know why - ellegance, views, romance, pacing and demographic.

And as an architect - though the building isn't classical (you couldn't really create an honest classical skyscraper could you? - classical music isn't even the same period of time as classical architecture - not even close), it is both very modern and nods at the past - which in my opinion makes for an excellent design and I commend Tony and SRSS Architects for that.

So there you have it - right or wrong from the firm producing the video.

[city watcher]

that's a picture of the old concept.

Ok, I've seen the older box looking version but from a different angle. I thought that was the older version with the additional 10 stories at the base, thinking they went back to the older design. Why is it that the Tennessean used the older renderings in Yesterdays paper and did'nt use the latest renderings like they did last week?

[NewTowner]

Since we are the ones producing it and working per Tony's desires I would obviously disagree. Music is about creating a mood, not trying to match an architectural style.

...

Everyone has an opinion about music and yours is valid, but now you know why - ellegance, views, romance, pacing and demographic.

...

And as an architect - though the building isn't classical (you couldn't really create an honest classical skyscraper could you? - classical music isn't even the same period of time as classical architecture - not even close), it is both very modern and nods at the past - which in my opinion makes for an excellent design and I commend Tony and SRSS Architects for that.

So there you have it - right or wrong from the firm producing the video.

We worked out why the music was there, my friend! My wife just thought it was funny, and I agreed. No offense on your video, man. It's pretty neat in a lot of ways. I like "ellegance" and romance...but whether or not the video and its accompanying classical ditty manage to convey that, in spite of the architecture, is what I was on about, I suppose...I probably would have chosen music that had some drums in it, as well as some strings--but I am not your firm, and I do not pretend to be.

You are smack off the mark when you say that Baroque chamber music and classical architecture didn't exist at the same time--of course they did! The classical was slowly undone by picturesque eclecticism (the application of gargoyles on Notre Dame, for example) and pseudo-scientific historicism (the "Gothik" Revival), beginning in the late 18th century and coming to a cultural train wreck in the late 19th / early 20th century, when the insanity of World War I enabled a bunch of nihilistic socialists to package and sell "Modernism." The Ecole des Beaux Arts was alive and well, at least in America, well into the 20th century. That's classical architecture, yo, and it passes "classical music" in about the second lap. Word!

But you are smack ON the mark, in my opinion, when you say that it would be impossible to erect a classical skyscraper--or at least it would be very, very, difficult. It would require some very creative massing and a structural vocabulary with no words to spare. The Human Scale, and all that. That's why, in the end, my wife and I thought it was funny that you chose classical music for the video. But I do not believe even for a second my post will, or even should, prompt you to change it. You are the professional, not I!

I don't totally hate the Big SIG T. It has an articulate ground floor, and while the PM Art Deco "compromises to classicism" are a little half-ass at this juncture, they are still preferable by a long shot to the blank face of Modernism, which would have made your selection of classical music even more ridiculous. If Mies van der Rohe had done this joker, you would have been forced to pick something which was obsessed with its own "futuristic-ness," and rejected all that old classical gibberish like chords and bars.

So there you have it - right or wrong from the fellow watching the video.