Nashville venue set to create urban & cultural connections

New renderings have been released for the new Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and William Rawn Associates (WRA) with HASTINGS Architecture. With opening expected in 2030, the new TPAC will support a range of artistic programming, while building upon Nashville’s rich legacy in the arts. 

Situated on a waterfront site, the venue includes the multi-functional Grand Broadway theatre, a dance and opera hall, a flexible black box theatre, and an intimate cabaret space, alongside as rehearsal studios and classrooms. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed by a light-filled atrium that draws the energy of the city inside. Two lobbies connect the performance spaces: the main lobby at street-level with views of the river and proposed waterfront park, and an elevated lobby fronting the landmark John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. A grand staircase, central lounge, and cascading concrete slabs invite patrons to congregate before, after, and in between performances.

Within the Broadway Theater, floating wood-clad ‘trays’ organize the seating into clusters, each staggered in height for optimized sightlines. The opera and dance hall is designed to enhance the views of the dancers’ feet, while the balconies reinforce a visual continuity with the stage. The Black Box Theater places the audience directly in the performance, eliminating the proscenium ‘picture frame’ that traditionally outlines the stage and allowing for different seating configurations tailored to each production. The Cabaret features a stage that extends into the audience, creating an intimate atmosphere complemented by banquet-style seating.

Crowning the building, a roof terrace features sweeping views, while outdoor staircases connect TPAC to the river, integrating the centre into Nashville’s new East Bank district. Landscape design by OLIN surrounds the building with diverse plant life and pockets for public outdoor performances and gathering spaces.

Bjarke Ingels, BIG Founder & Creative Director, stated: “The new home for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center is designed like an urban and cultural connection – between the east and west bank of the Cumberland River, between the old and the new Nashville, and between all of the performing arts.”

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

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