Landscape Information
Abutting the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge on the Cumberland River, the Bridge Building was built in 1908. The six-story structure originally housed the offices of Arthur Dyer’s Nashville Bridge Company, which closed in 1996. In 1997 the construction of the Adelphia Coliseum resulted in the demolition of most of the site except for the original building and two additions built in 1923 and 1965, respectively. The Bridge Building was renovated by Hastings Architecture Associates, reopening in 2012. The area around it was redesigned by Hawkins Partners, Inc., as a public park as part of the Nashville Riverfront Redevelopment Master Plan. Because of its close proximity to the pedestrian bridge, the NFL stadium, and the river, the site now serves as a nexus for the area.
The Bridge Building is surrounded by Riverfront Landing, a public park divided into several sections and amenities. The two-acre, oval-shaped Upper Park includes a crushed-stone plaza set amid a grove of poplar trees planted in a grid. Gradually sloping toward the river, the 2.25-acre Lower Park includes gardens, picnic areas, and overlooks that afford views of downtown. An artificial beach along the water’s edge acts as a boat-launch along some 350 linear feet of shoreline. Accessed via a descending staircase and ramp is the large-scale metal sculpture called Ghost Ballet. Designed by Alice Aycock in 2007, the sculpture’s trusses and crane base reflect the area’s industrial past.
