CLIENT: LifeWay Christian Resources
LOCATION: Nashville, TN
AREA: 280,000 ft²
Completed with Gresham Smith
COMPLETION DATE: NOVEMBER 2017
AWARDS:
2018 ULI Nashville Excellence in Development:
Private Sector - Large Project, People’s Choice
PROGRAM:
New Office Building :
7 Levels of office space
Entrance Lobby
Conference Center and Prefunction Space
Production studios (Video, Audio, Photography)
Executive Suite
Café
Outdoor Terrace
Parking Garage:
824 parking stalls
NARRATIVE:
LifeWay Christian Resources, one of the world’s largest providers of Christian products and services, has been located in Nashville for over 125 years, on a 14 acre, 9 building campus. This campus challenged their ability to be good stewards of the their resources and effective in their business goals. In 2014, with real estate being highly sought after in Nashville, it was clear that LifeWay had an opportunity that could transform the future of this mission led business. The decision to relocate from their previous historic campus to a dynamic new nine-story facility is part of a larger rebranding and restructuring strategy by LifeWay.
DESIGN PROCESS
In order to align their new facility with the direction that the company is headed, Lifeway desired an environment that not only facilitated inspiring work, but a space that also inspired dynamic interaction among their employees. GS&P worked closely with LifeWay leadership to develop workplace strategies that support effective business practices and make it easier for employees to collaborate. The new headquarters features an open floorplan geared toward activity-based working. It includes a conference space large enough to accommodate approximately 700 people with theater-style seating and pre-function/breakout spaces.
One of LifeWay's goals for the project was to infuse the building with the brand of the company. The entrance lobby achieved this by tying LifeWay’s past to its present and future. Christian values are present throughout the space in features such as a Scripture passage serving as a backdrop to the monumental stair taking visitors to the conference level, and the eight relocated stained glass parable story panels, which are suspended in custom steel frames in the two-story volume. The LifeWay story is clearly communicated through the use of both historical elements and modern video technology. Warm, welcoming materials and abundant natural light create a positive, energetic environment.
CONTEXTUAL RESPONSE
The LifeWay Corporate Headquarters is part of a new mixed use development within downtown Nashville known as Capitol View. This 32-acre property situated between the Tennessee State Capitol and Marathon Village, will host a wide variety of functions including office, residential, hotel, and retail projects.
The design team sought to create a contemporary, corporate office building that embraces the aesthetic character of the adjacent 110-year-old former Marathon Motor Works factory while blending with the boom of sleek high-rise offices being added to the downtown core.
The carefully curated material palette of the Headquarters directly references the local context and primarily consists of black metal portals set within a masonry mass. The southeast corner of the building receives a lighter treatment of glass and metal to maximize views toward downtown, mark the entrance plaza, and host an open internally lit lantern atop the building. This architectural feature serves as a reference to the spiritual significance of light.
In summary, GS&P created a high-quality, timeless and flexible space that can evolve with LifeWay over the years. It celebrates their corporate culture and honors the core beliefs that will always be at their foundation, while introducing the new spaces and tools they need to remain at the top of their industry into the future.