Ten21 at Five Points

The “Ten21” building located in historic East Nashville near Five-Points is perched at the crest of 11th and Russell Streets. Significantly damaged in the March 2020 tornado, the 1911 gabled structure lost two levels of the four-story masonry tower, most of the roof and majority of the original historic windows. The new tower design, as quoted in the Nashville Post, “The scale and detail pay homage to the original tower without replication, but the difference is the glowing presence that it will have at night — especially after the tornado — it is very visible from many more vantage points in the neighborhood.”

Originally built as the Russell Street Presbyterian Church, the structure was the home to several church congregations, a funeral home and most recently the YCAP of East Nashville. New uses include two restaurants, retail and office spaces. Historical Restoration included re-creating the “lemon-wedge” shaped half-round windows in the Sanctuary that were lost in the tornado. The 6,000 square foot addition provides accessibility and additional office and retail space that fronts 11th Street along with providing outdoor seating.

Restoring the Lantern: The original tower perched on a local high point in the neighborhood has always served as a beacon on the hill visible throughout the neighborhood. The third level of the tower was a non-accessible attic space with the fourth level being a decorated octagonal cupola only accessible from the exterior roof. With the tornado's removal of the top two levels of the tower, the design team's concept of new construction references the idea of a "lantern" as a glowing beacon, outlining the former attic level in a steel ghost frame over a translucent lantern box. This new lantern is open to the space below. The new final fourth level layer is a simple sculpture with eight facets referencing the original eight-sided cupola bell tower.