THE BRIDGE BUILDING EVENT SPACES
Perched neatly on the east bank of the Cumberland River, The Bridge Building Event Spaces is more than just a room with a view.
It all started in 1902 when businessman and Vanderbilt University grad Arthur Dyer founded the Nashville Bridge Company (NABRICO). Due to significant floods in the early 1900s, many bridges in Tennessee were destroyed and Dyer saw an opportunity. But it wasn’t all just about bridges. The company’s first major job was actually constructing the steel framework for The Arcade, an open-air shopping center and landmark in downtown Nashville.
In 1908, as the company began to experience rapid growth, Dyer built a six-story, 5,000-square-foot office building for their headquarters in what would later become one of the most enviable locations in all of Music City.
The new building quickly became the biggest economic asset in Nashville's industrial revolution. NABRICO became widely recognized for its splashy barge spectacles, where new river barges were dropped into the water in public launching ceremonies. Hence shifting the company's focus from bridges to inland barges.
Hilarious recounts tell of how Arthur used to drive his car off the bridge straight into the building to park. Now that's how you make an entrance!
NABRICO continued to operate out of the building until the mid-1990s when the city purchased it to make way for Adelphia Coliseum, now Nissan Stadium. All of the company’s surrounding structures were demolished, but the original office building and its two additions were spared.
Throughout the late 90s and early 2000s, the building sat empty until a plan to redevelop the riverfront was announced in 2006. The Nashville Riverfront rapidly began transforming.
After surviving the flood of 2010, the future never looked brighter as The Bridge Building's revitalization began as a part of the Nashville Riverfront Redevelopment Plan. And the architects that were chosen to take on the project? None other than Hastings Architecture Associates, LLC.
Their vision was clear as day: to achieve LEED Platinum certification through good design and innovative energy features while preserving the original form and features of the old building. And they did just that!
Pictured left: The NABRICO building before its restoration and renovation.
The addition of a geothermal heat pump mechanical system, LED lighting, solar water heating system, rainwater harvesting system, and high-efficiency windows granted The Bridge Building a LEED-Platinum Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The first in the state of Tennessee!
This platinum rating made the Nashville Bridge Building the world’s highest-rated building within the Core and Shell category, beating out 4,467 other structures!
Today, it is internationally recognized as one of the greenest buildings in the world and one of Nashville's top spots to throw any kind of celebration.
From graduation ceremonies in the Cumberland space, to rehearsal dinners on the rooftop and wedding ceremonies on the riverfront, the opportunities are endless. With countless spaces to choose from and customize, whatever you're envisioning, we're up for the challenge! Let your imagination run wild.
Scroll on to see the transformation of The Bridge Building over the years, and what we've been up to since.
HERE'S THE SKINNY
✓ Historic Nashville venue dating back to 1908
✓ Floor-to-ceiling windows & exposed steel beams
✓ Prime location adjacent to Pedestrian Bridge
✓ Unparalleled view of Nashville skyline
✓ One of the greenest buildings in the world
✓ Wedding suites & on-site restrooms
✓ State-of-the-art light & sound
✓ Full commercial kitchen
✓ In-house catering
✓ Rooftop patio
✓ Riverfront patio plus two side patios
✓ Handicap accessible
✓ Custom gobo projection onto Pedestrian Bridge
Photography Credits: Rachel Moore, Kerry Woo Photography, Details Nashville, Magnolia & Ember, Nyk + Cali, Details Nashville, SheHeWe Photography, Melanie Grady, Cannon Weddings, SheHeWe, Details Nashville, Nyk + Cali, Parker Young, DC Events & Design, Kate Anthony Photography, and Details Nashville.