Historic Zoning Commission

Tennessee Theatre Individual H Landmark: Level II

2-A-20-HZ

Applicant Request

Level II. Construction of addition or outbuilding

Construction of an addition connecting the southwest elevation of the Tennessee Theatre's auditorium space with the rear (northeast) elevation of 612 S. Gay Street. The six-story addition will serve to connect the two buildings and provide egress and stair access. The addition will connect to the Theatre exterior via expansion joints at floors two and three. Two new openings will be created in the masonry on the auditorium's southwest elevation on floors two and three. These openings will allow for two sets of double doors providing access ot the stairwell.

The addition will have a flat roof with a parapet wall, an exterior of corrugated metal siding, and a narrow, insulated translucent wall panel extending the length of the addition adjacent to the Theatre wall.

The addition will be minimally visible from the public right-of-way.

Addition's design to match drawings submitted 2/3/2020 and/or 2/19/2020.

Site Info

The Burwell Building and the Tennessee Theatre form a building complex, with the construction date of the Burwell (1907-1908) preceding the Tennessee Theatre (1928) by approximately twenty years. The Burwell Building is a Renaissance Revival-style, ten-story plus mezzanine and basement, office building. The Gay Street façade (west elevation) is seven bays wide, with the additional four bays added in 1928 with the construction of the Tennessee Theatre. A large auditorium section fronts Clinch Avenue and State Street.

1. Constructed to serve as a stairwell and method of access between 612 S. Gay Street and the Tennessee Theatre, the addition is proposed to be placed in a narrow open space between the rear (northeast) elevation of 612 S. Gay Street and the southwest elevation of the Theatre's auditorium space. The proposed addition will not be visible from Gay Street or Clinch Avenue; the placement of the stairwell addition is appropriate.

2. By necessity, the addition is narrow in massing and scaled to match the heights of 612 S. Gay Street and the Tennessee Theatre. While the addition is one story taller than the Theatre's auditorium, the addition's height reflects the rear elevation of 612 S. Gay Street. Overall, the addition is subordinate in size to both the Tennessee Theatre and 612 S. Gay Street. The height, scale, and massing of the stairwell addition are appropriate for the historic structure.

3. The proposed addition will be clad in a corrugated metal panel, with an insulated translucent wall panel between the addition and the Tennessee Theatre's southwest wall. The proposed materials serve to differentiate the addition from the historic building. The addition will not be visible from the public right-of-way. The addition's materials and design will not detract from the Theatre's historic integrity.

4. The addition will connect to a hidden, non-character-defining elevation of the Tennessee Theatre, which is currently a brick wall with one basement-access door. The addition will only be structurally tied to the Tennessee Theatre at the highest level, at the parapet wall. Two new fenestrations will be created on the Theatre's southwest elevation, to provide access at the second and third stories. The proposed addition will not affect any character-defining features of the Tennessee Theatre.