Designing Movement was an international design competition in 2012 inviting submissions for the redevelopment of a site located on the East Bank of the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee. Prompted by the disastrous floods of 2010, which caused over $2.5 billion in damages in Davidson County, the Nashville Civic Design Center sent out a call for ideas to reexamine the possibilities for development on the riverfront site.
In my proposal, I center on the use of the site as a locus for Designing Action, dedicated to the pursuit of a healthy mind and body. In line with Nashville’s desire to become the ‘Healthiest City in the Southeast’, the vast expanse of the site is converted to active greenspace, an assortment of athletic fields interspersed with recreational areas devoted to lower-profile alternative sports like rock-climbing , kayaking and freerunning. The entirety of the site becomes a living space for athletes of all inclinations.
At the north end of the site, distanced from the boundaries of the 100-year floodplain, I envision a structure that symbolizes the human body in motion; fluid bodies rise from the earth, pirouette and spin, then recede back to the plain in exhalation.
Programmatically, the structure would serve as a hub for the promotion of the athletic spirit. It would contain the headquarters of a number of athletic organizations promoting the idea of healthy and active living, perhaps even the United States Olympics Committee as a marquee tenant. Event and exhibition space, attached sports facilities, and entertainment options would all be included in the building program.
