Project Description
In 1908, on the east bank of downtown Nashville’s Cumberland River, Arthur Dyer erected a 6 story 5,000sf office building for his newly founded Nashville Bridge Company. This would be the first of many structures to be built for what would become known as NABRICO. Much later, construction of Nashville’s new NFL stadium in the mid-1990’s required the demolition of virtually all of the East Bank’s industrial facilities. The only structure that was spared was the original 1908 NABRICO building along with two additions constructed in 1923 and 1965.
Now, as part of the greater Riverfront Redevelopment initiative, NABRICO has been renovated for use in the 21st Century. This initial phase primarily focused on bringing modern-day infrastructure and life-safety features to the structure as well as adding ground floor amenities for the adjacent park such as public restrooms, concessions and a park office.
The design concept has two deliberate components: 1) restore the architecture of the original structures and (2) through the new core addition necessitated by unusually small floor-plates, provide a symbolic icon recalling the lost heritage of the site.
Historically, NABRICO specialized in the construction of barges. Therefore, referencing the planer quality and materiality of the hull of a barge, the addition is formed and sheathed to acknowledge the site’s heritage. With sculptural bold language befitting a public space, the intervention creates a landmark and offers a backdrop for public dialogue.
The project has now been certified LEED Platinum, receiving the most points for a Core and Shell project IN THE WORLD!