Denmark-based architecture studio BIG released designs for new, riverside Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, Tennessee, which will be covered with a swooping curtain of metal pipes.

Near Nashville’s Cumberland Park and Nissan Stadium, the new home of TPAC extends the vibrancy of downtown Nashville across the Cumberland River, and will emerge as a cultural anchor for the city’s reenergized East Bank.

© BIG

Supporting a range of artistic programming, the new TPAC includes four performance spaces clustered at its core, which includes the multi-function Grand Broadway theater, a dance and opera hall, a flexible black box theater, and an intimate cabaret space, as well as rehearsal studios and classrooms.

As TPAC transitions from its current location downtown, the 307,000-square-foot TPAC will become the home of Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera and Nashville Repertory Theatre, while creating venues for traveling Broadway shows, dance performances and community events. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with a projected opening in 2030.

Visually, it bookends Broadway as a beacon from across the river, drawing the cultural life of downtown across to the East Bank. Designed to be welcoming on all sides, the center will be  accessible from above and below the bridge, making the lobby a cascading public space for the daily life of the neighborhood.

© Bloom Images

The façade is composed of aluminum tubes bundled like organ pipes or steel chimes, providing openings and canopies for the audience and performers passing through. The result is like a flowing public pavilion in the park that provides the inclusive and inviting character that its program and performances deserve.

The campus will include permanent classrooms and adaptable rehearsal studios for performances and workshops. The campus will also be linked to downtown Nashville through a direct connection to John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, reinforcing its role as a civic destination and gathering place.

TPAC’s reflective metal façade, composed of an array of aluminum tubes, creates a dynamic, sculptural volume that looks different from every vantage point in the city. Taking cues from an undulating theater curtain, arches on the exterior lift to reveal the activity within.

© Bloom Images

Two lobbies connect the performance spaces: the main lobby at street-level with views of the river and proposed waterfront park, and an elevated lobby fronting landmark John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. A grand staircase, central lounge and cascading concrete slabs invite patrons to congregate before, after and in between performances, reinforcing TPAC’s role as a social gathering place within Nashville.

Within Broadway Theater, floating, wood-clad “trays” organize seating into intimate clusters, each staggered in height for optimized sightlines. The opera and dance hall is designed to enhance views of the dancers’ feet, while balconies reinforce a visual continuity with the stage. Black Box Theater places the audience directly in the performance, eliminating the proscenium “picture frame” that traditionally outlines the stage, allowing for different seating configurations tailored to each production. The Cabaret features a stage extending into the audience, creating an intimate atmosphere complemented by banquet-style seating.

© BIG

A transparent rehearsal space offers visitors a glimpse behind the scenes, while a sensory room offers a calming environment during performances. Crowning the building, a roof terrace features sweeping views of Broadway, Cumberland River and the Nashville skyline.

Outdoor staircases will connect TPAC to the river, integrating the center into Nashville’s new East Bank district and enhancing connectivity with the city beyond. Landscape design by OLIN surrounds the building with diverse plant life and pockets for public outdoor performances, gathering spaces and play groves.