AT&T Building (Nashville)

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name = AT&T Building


caption = View of the AT&T Building
location = 333 Commerce Street
Nashville, Tennessee
United States
coordinates = coord|36|9|45|N|86|46|37|W|region:US_type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline,title
status =
groundbreaking = 1991
constructed = 1991-1994
opening =
demolished =
destroyed =
use = Offices
antenna_spire = convert|630.5|ft|m|1|abbr=on ⁽¹⁾
roof =
top_floor =
floor_count = 32 ⁽¹⁾
elevator_count =
cost =
floor_area = convert|690297|sqft|m2|0|abbr=on office area ⁽³⁾
>convert|1000000|sqft|m2|abbr=on total area ⁽²⁾
architect = Earl Swensson Associates ⁽²⁾
engineer = I. C. Thomasson Associates ⁽²⁾
contractor = Brasfield & Gorrie
Ray Bell Construction ^(2,4)
developer = The Mathews Company ⁽⁵⁾
owner = Pitney Bowes
(1994-2006)
Cerberus Capital Management
(2006-2007)
MTL Leasing
(2007-Present) ^(3,6)
management =
references = 1cite web |url=http://www.esarch.com/ |title=Portfolio - Corporate - BellSouth Tennessee Headquarters |work=ESArch.com |accessdate=2008-05-09] , 2cite web |url=http://www.enterprisellc.com/portfolio |title=Enterprise Electric, LLC: Portfolio |work=EnterpriseLLC.com |accessdate=2007-11-30] , 3cite news |url=http://www.businesstn.com/pub/1_11/features/7623-1.html |title=This Land is Their Land...: Prefco XIV L.P. |work=BusinessTN.com |first=David A |last=Fox |date=November 2004 |accessdate=2007-11-30] , 4cite news |url=http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2006/04/17/focus1.html |title=Brasfield & Gorrie puts its stamp on Nashville projects |work=Nashville Business Journal |first=J Holly |last=Dolloff |date=2006-04-14 |accessdate=2007-11-30] , 5cite web |url=http://www.themathewscompany.com/about/history.htm |title=The Mathews Company Timeline |work=TheMathewsCompany.com |accessdate=2007-11-30] , 6cite news |url=http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2007/05/21/story1.html |title=Downtown landmark purchased |work=Nashville Business Journal |first=Jim |last=Stinson |date=2007-05-18 |accessdate=2008-05-20]

The AT&T Building (formerly the South Central Bell Building and BellSouth Building, also known as the Batman Building) is a convert|630.5|ft|m|0|abbr=on, 32-story skyscraper completed in August 1994 and located in Nashville, Tennessee. The structure is designed as an office tower capable of housing 2,000 workers and as of 2008 is occupied by two companies. It is currently the tallest building in the state of Tennessee.

Architecture and design

The building sits on convert|2.7|acre|ha|1|abbr=on of property on Commerce St between 3rd and 4th Avenues North, and has a footprint of 1⅔ city blocks. It features a three-story winter garden atrium as its foyer and has a nine-story underground parking garage with 1,300 vehicle capacity. The decorative bridge of the structure was designed to resemble a telephone receiver sitting in its cradle,cite web |url=http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/BuildingDetail/595.php |title=BellSouth Building |work=GlassSteelandStone.com |accessdate=2007-11-30] and the addition of the spires gives an appearance similar to that of the Melbourne Central Tower in Melbourne, Australia. Its distinctive design and dark coloration have earned it the nickname "Batman Building", due to its resemblance to the mask of superhero character Batman.cite news |url=http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=7122295&nav=menu374_3_7 |title='Batman Building' Gets A New Name |work=NewsChannel5.com |date=2007-09-25 |accessdate=2007-11-30]

Richard Miller, the president of architectural firm Earl Swensson Associates, said of the design process "...at the time we did that they [South Central Bell] wanted a signature piece of architecture. What happens inside the building drives the way the outside looks."cite news |url=http://www.tennessean.com/business/archives/03/12/44647602.shtml |title=Taking part in shaping a vibrant Nashville |work=The Tennessean |first=Bill |last=Lewis |date=2003-12-28 |accessdate=2007-11-30 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5TjzohTsy |archivedate=2007-11-30]

The building's design was sharply criticized at its completion. Christine Kreyling, architecture critic of the Nashville Scene, wrote that "the red granite base is a gesture to the surrounding red brick buildings, but it lacks integration into the tower's midsection, making the building look like its been planted in a flower pot," and that the "street-level atrium slams into the back of the tower...in a totally unresolved transition." She also wrote that the building, close to historic brick warehouses and the Ryman Auditorium, "visually crushes these historic red brick landmarks, not to mention the rest of Nashville's downtown towers."cite news |title=Protest: Nashville Tower Bullies Downtown Neighbors |work=Architecture |first=Christine |last=Kreyling |date=April 1995]

Tenants

AT&T, previously BellSouth Telecommunications and before that South Central Bell,cite press release |url=http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=22140 |title=AT&T, BellSouth to Merge |publisher=ATT.com |date=2006-03-05 |accessdate=2007-11-30] cite news |url=http://www.wtvf-tv.com/global/story.asp?s=7127643 |title=POLL: What should Nashvillians call the BellSouth Building? |work=NewsChannel5.com |date=2007-09-25 |accessdate=2007-11-30] has operated its Tennessee headquarters out of the building since it was opened in 1994. Prior to 2006, it was the sole occupant of the building, and now occupies approximately convert|500000|sqft|m2|abbr=on of office space.cite news |url=http://www.tennessean.com/business/archives/04/07/54777425.shtml |title=BellSouth Tower to open space |work=The Tennessean |first=Richard |last=Lawson |date=2004-07-23 |accessdate=2007-11-30 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5TkTkJknH |archivedate=2007-11-30] AT&T holds a 23.5 year lease which ends January 2020. The other tenant, Nissan North America, has operated a temporary headquarters in the remainder of office area, twelve floors, since June 19, 2006. The company will relocate to a permanent location in Franklin, Tennessee in mid-2008.cite web |url=http://www.nissannews.com/corporate/news/speeches/20060809110244.shtml |title=SHIFT_ 2.0: Embracing Change at Nissan North America, Inc. |work=NissanNews.com |first=Jim |last=Morton |date=2006-08-09 |accessdate=2007-11-30 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060818200017/http://www.nissannews.com/corporate/news/speeches/20060809110244.shtml |archivedate=2006-08-18] cite news |url=http://www.weatherblogg.com/node/24468 |title=Nissan HQ construction continues as BellSouth Tower up for sale... |work=Monterey Herald "via" Weatherblogg.com |date=2006-11-26 |accessdate=2007-11-30]

Local television station WTVF Channel 5, while not utilizing office space, operates two live video cameras atop the western spire, which were established in 1995 and 1996.cite web |url=http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=5999571 |title=History Of Firsts At NewsChannel 5 |work=NewsChannel5.com |date=2007-02-12 |accessdate=2007-11-30] These cameras are used to provide scenic views of Nashville and assist in covering news events.

Ownership

After completion in 1994, the AT&T Building was purchased by Prefco XIV L.P., a limited partnership of the Pitney Bowes Real Estate Financing Corp, for US$100.8 million.cite news |url=http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?s=5737992 |title=Nashville Skyscraper Up For Sale |work=NewsChannel5.com |date=2006-12-18 |accessdate=2007-11-30] Ownership of the building was transferred to Cerberus Capital Management subsidiary EntreCap Financial in July 2006 after Cerberus acquired Prefco. The building was immediately placed back on the market for resell, and in mid-2007 was sold to MTL Leasing LLC for an undisclosed sum.

See also

*List of tallest buildings in Nashville
*List of tallest buildings by U.S. state

References

External links

* [http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/BuildingDetail/595.php AT&T Building at "Glass, Steel, and Stone"]
* [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=bellsouthbuilding-nashville-tn-usa AT&T Building at "Emporis"]