Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Nashville
Tuck Hinton Architects

Adapted post office becomes a worthy home for art

© Tim Hursley

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The historic downtown Nashville post office built in 1934 was rehabilitated to become the home for the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Recognized for its Federal Classical marble exterior and Art Deco main lobby, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this imposing structure served as the regional postal distribution center for over fifty years. The structure was seen as an ideal candidate for adaptive reuse due to its convenient location, good condition, and spacious interiors.

Although located on a major corridor at the edge of downtown Nashville, the building had inadequate parking. Removal of several dilapidated warehouses behind the lot created parking and a new courtyard and building entrance. Patrons from the parking area now ascend an exterior stair to the elevated courtyard, where an addition to the side of the building is the focus, and a new entrance and café draws the visitor in.

Galleries are positioned in the center of the fortress-like structure for maximum climate control and security. The auditorium, classrooms, gift shop, and offices are positioned along the perimeter for natural illumination and to buffer the exhibit areas. Curatorial, storage, and mechanical areas are located on the lower level, where a new branch post office was designed and constructed as well.

The historic lobby continues to serve as the primary public space in the building, and its impressive detailing was carefully restored with only minor adjustments. Natural light was introduced into the middle of the cavernous building by the creation of a canyon-like, clerestoried space between the lobby and new gallery areas. Prominent staircases at opposite ends of this narrow light well provide circulation between the two levels of exhibited art.

Formal name of Project:
Frist Center for the Visual Arts

Location:
Nashville

Owner:
The Frist Foundation Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County

Architect:
Tuck Hinton Architects