year
2024
location
Nashville, Tennessee
design studio
Bjarke Ingels Group
role
Project Designer, Technical Facade Design, Parametric Modeling and Overall Geometry Control
project phases
Concept, Schematic Design, Design Development
An Icon on the Waterfront
The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is planned for a prominent site along the East Bank waterfront in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Positioned at the terminus of Broadway—an iconic urban boulevard renowned for its vibrant, music-centered culture—the site offers a unique opportunity to create a landmark at the intersection of the city’s creative energy and its evolving riverfront. In response, the design embraces a bold and expressive architectural language that reflects the spirit of the performing arts within. The building’s dramatic, undulating façade screen is both playful and performative, striking a balance between enclosure and openness, privacy and porosity—an architectural gesture that invites public engagement while embodying the cultural vitality of its context.
Tube Screen Facade
The feature façade system for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center is a dramatic, undulating screen composed of anodized aluminum tubes that envelops the entire building. This expressive skin consists of 974 individual tubes, configured as a series of ruled surfaces that create a dynamic and performative envelope for the spaces within. Designed to be both sculptural and functional, the tube screen rotates along a linear axis, allowing for dramatic openings in the façade. These articulated moments introduce porosity, inviting the public inside and fostering a strong connection between the building’s interior programming and the urban context.
Parametric Modeling & Geometry Control
As part of the design process, a flexible parametric model was developed in Grasshopper to rapidly explore a wide range of façade configurations. Key parameters such as tube diameter, spacing, pattern logic, axis location, and rotational amplitude were evaluated to fine-tune both performance and expression. The adaptability of the parametric model proved essential to the iterative design process, enabling quick responses to changes in building geometry and evolving aesthetic goals while maintaining design coherence across the system.
Technical Documentation
To enhance coordination with other building systems, our refined parametric facade geometry was imported into the BIM model using MKS Beam, which provided the most efficient workflow for bringing scripted Rhino elements into Revit. At the schematic design stage, this method proved significantly more time-effective than alternatives like Rhino.Inside or Dynamo. In parallel, we worked closely with structural and façade consultants to document the exterior systems in detail, ensuring that both scope and cost could be accurately defined for the client.
