General Contractor:  GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Turner Construction Company Keith Merritt – Project Manager kmerritt@tcco.com; 615-642-6980

Consultants:   MPE ENGINEER:
I.C Thomasson Associates, Inc.
Kyle Keith – Project Manager, Mechanical Engineer
kkeith@icthomasson.com; 615-481-6558
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER:
EMC Structural Engineers
Richard Begin – Project Manager
begin@emcnashville.com; 615-957-2199
CIVIL ENGINEER:
Barge Cauthen Associates
Jeff Hooper – Project Manager
jeff@bargecauthen.com; 615-476-3962
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT:
Ross/Fowler
David Craig – Project Manager
David.craig@rossfowler.com; 865-637-1100 x 110

Photography Credits: 

1. West Angle – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
2. Site and Floor Plans – Credit: Tuck Hinton / Thomas Miller JV
Site plan shows the direct relationship of the new building with the adjacent
Bicentennial Mall and its Court of Three Stars. The u-shaped structure fills a city
block, with 126-space parking garage beneath providing convenient parking
and a service court at the south side.
Third Floor: limited access to research center, preservation labs, archival
cataloging, compact storage, and access to the Automated Storage Retrieval
System (ASRS)
Second Floor: main reading room, manuscripts and microfilm reading room,
stacks, library operations, and administration
First Floor: public lobby, display of precious items, library for the blind and hearing
impaired, conference rooms, training center, staff area, and building systems
3. Building Section – Credit: Tuck Hinton / Thomas Miller JV
This section illustrates the multiple-level building. From the first-floor public lobby,
patrons easily ascend a central stair to the main reading room. The tall
penthouse contains the building’s large museum-quality HVAC air handlers.
4. 6th and Jefferson Corner – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
The building fronts Sixth Avenue and Jefferson Street, one of the city’s most
prominent and historic roads. To capitalize on the orientation and establish a
visual connection between passersby and library staff on this busy street,
sawtooth-like glazed bays allow a generous introduction of north light and
provide views to and from the active thoroughfare. The angle is also strategic in
avoiding direct west light. In contrast, the narrow vertical windows on the top
floor intentionally limit natural lighting for the preservation areas within.

5. East Elevation – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
Longest on the building, the east façade fronts a busy street recently renamed
for Representative John Lewis. A spacious plaza greets visitors with its steps and
lower colonnade. Back-of-house hallways on the two upper floors are just inside
this elongated edifice. Official state symbols—managed by this institution—were
suggested to animate the exterior. Stainless steel panels present twenty-two
state identities here and on the west façade and courtyard.

6. Courtyard – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
A continuous colonnade surrounds the courtyard, and its canopy provides
shading of the public spaces within. A steel trellis also provides shading for
participants who step outside during conferences in the building. The lawn,
sitting atop the subterranean garage, is available for tent-covered book festivals
and other events. The raised element at the end of the green admits air and
daylight into the garage below. High performance glazing is used throughout to
protect all sensitive materials from ultraviolet light.
7. West Courtyard – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
Twin stair towers frame the courtyard, and due to the extensive glazing on the
three sides of this outdoor room, the exterior space can be seen and enjoyed by
visitors and staff, especially from the main reading room on the second floor.
8. Lobby – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
The main lobby, accessible from the east and west, was designed to provide
both an introduction to the facility and an interesting destination for tourists and
school groups.
9. Lobby Displays – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
Not unlike the National Archives, this space provides a glimpse of the state’s
rarest documents. Table-top interactive screens combined with cherished
exhibited items provide an educational experience for the young and old.
10. Rare Books – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
At the north end of the main lobby, a limited-access room holds some of the
state’s most valuable books.
11. ASRS – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
The facility’s largest storage depository is the 10,800 SF, 40-foot tall, automated
storage and retrieval system (ASRS) vault. Using this technology, 80,000 SF was
eliminated from the library’s original program that had suggested only traditional
static and compact storage. The two-story ASRS is elevated to be on the second
floor to provide additional protection and security.
12. Staircase and Seal – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
Those doing research and seeking detailed information from the vast collections
ascend the granite main stair (or elevator) to the secure main reading room
above. Wood elements complement the stone surfaces, and concealed
acoustic treatment softens acoustics in the tall space. Natural light is admitted
through the same seal that is placed on most official state documents.
13. Reading Room – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
Patrons and researchers use the reading room more than any other space. This
linear hall possesses abundant glazing for natural light and views of the courtyard
below. Bays provide areas for meetings and study.
14. Reading Room Ceiling – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
Thin, mirrored louvers in clerestory openings provide anidolic illumination, and
when sunshine is present, sheers of glare-free, reflected light flow across the
curved, acoustic plaster ceiling; when clouds pass overheard, the subtle
variation adds a natural ambiance to the room’s otherwise consistent lighting.
15. West Elevation Dusk – Credit: John Schweikert Photography
The new Tennessee State Library & Archives building will continue this
organization’s mission to collect, preserve, and provide access to Tennessee’s
historical documents and promote the development of libraries and archives
across the Volunteer State.