Design Review Board

Level 1: Minor alteration of an existing building/structure

8-D-20-DT

Applicant Request

This proposal addresses revisions to the design approved under Certificate 5-B-20-DT for rehabilitation of the Tennessee State Supreme Court Building. The application includes an expansion of the previously approved rooftop deck area, and modifications to the "ribbon" addition on the five-story tower section which fronts Cumberland Avenue and Henley Street. All other aspects of the design approved on May 20, 2020 remain the same.

Rooftop Deck: Additional area has been added to the rooftop deck on the Tower section and the Courthouse section. Metal canopies extending from the north and south sides of the Courthouse clerestory were approved under 5-B-20-DT as part of the rooftop deck design. The two canopies have been revised to be deeper, extending approximately 10' deep.

Ribbon Addition: The ribbon addition has been modified from the design approved under 5-B-20-DT. On the east elevation fronting Locust Street, the metal-clad ribbon addition now terminates at the bottom of the adjacent window. On the west elevation fronting Henley Street, the depth and geometry of the ribbon have been revised. The metal-clad ribbon projects out at an angle from the uppermost levels and extends closer to the building as the addition moves down towards the termination point at the second story.

Site Info

The property is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places so the Historic Resources section of the guidelines does not apply. The building is considered "eligible" for the National Register. Overall, the proposed revisions are modest and meet the guidelines. The modified "ribbon" addition serves to differentiate the addition from the historic section of the building, with elevations that provide visual interest along both the Locust Street and Henley Street elevations. The expanded deck maintains a modest profile and does not detract from the historic integrity of the Courthouse section.

Applicable guidelines
SECTION 1.B.1 (BUILDING MASS, SCALE, AND FORM)
Building form should be consistent with the character of downtown as an urban setting and should reinforce the pedestrian activity at the street level. Creating pedestrian-scale buildings, especially at street level, can reduce the perceived mass of buildings. Historically, building technology limited height and subsequently created pedestrian-scaled buildings typically less than 10 stories. Building technology no longer limits the height of buildings and there are no height limitations imposed by the zoning ordinance for downtown Knoxville. However, there is still a need for buildings that respond to pedestrians. The use of 'human-scale' design elements is necessary to accomplish this. Human-scale design elements are details and shapes that are sized to be proportional to the human body, such as, upper story setbacks, covered entries, and window size and placement.

GUIDELINES:
1a. 1c. Use building materials, cornice lines, signs, and awnings of a human scale in order to reduce the mass of buildings as experienced at the street level.
1d. Divide larger buildings into 'modules' that are similar in scale to traditional downtown buildings. Buildings should be designed with a recognizable base, middle, and top on all exposed elevations.
1e. Avoid blank walls along street-facing elevations.

SECTION 1.B.3. (BUILDING MATERIALS)
New building materials should relate to the scale, durability, color, and texture of the predominate building materials in the area.
GUIDELINES:
3a. Use complimentary materials and elements, especially next to historic buildings.

SECTION 2.A. (THE BOULEVARD DISTRICT)

2. BUILDING CONSIDERATIONS
Enhance the architectural harmony of all buildings along the street.
GUIDELINES:
2a. Design building entrances to be clearly oriented to the street.
2b. Encourage building forms that are complimentary to the mass of adjacent buildings.
2c. Design building elevations to compliment the buildings along the side or back streets when buildings are to face more than one street.