Often when restoring historic homes or buildings, the goal is to try to replicate — as closely as possible — what the structure originally looked like. But there are different ways to approach preservation. In the case of The Arcade in downtown Nashville, the three-year renovation was more about “scrapbooking.”
“It’s like going through a family photo album,” says Nick Dryden, principal architect at Dryden Studio, which oversaw the project. “You’ve got the day you were born. That’s like your origin date. But then that shouldn’t be the only thing that is highlighted. I mean, it’s all your years of life, right?”
The Arcade, which spans two city blocks, was built in 1902 to resemble the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall in Milan. A group of local investors partnered with New York City-based real estate firm Linfield Capital to purchase the property in 2021.
Over the years, The Arcade has been renovated multiple times — representing several different eras of design. Many historically significant design details remain. For instance, the Pony Express logo is still emblazoned on a large medallion near a vacant storefront, although the post office, which opened in 1903 and closed 100 years later, is no longer a tenant. And the Carrara glass, a type of pigmented structural glass made popular in the 1920s and ’30s, remains near The Arcade’s entrance — even though it hasn’t been made in decades.
“There has been quite a bit of curatorial consideration as far as what to do with all these different individual storefronts,” says Nick, “the selective salvaging or preserving of some of these materials that were not part of the original Arcade but very much have become part of its overall history.”
The Arcade’s architecture tells a lot of stories. The Walgreens, which is quickly recognizable by its vintage neon sign, came to prominence in 1960 when its lunch counter was the site of instrumental student-led sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement. In 1998, a tornado that ripped through downtown severely damaged The Arcade’s signature skylight, which had to be replaced. The original trusses, however, are still a focal point.
While it has been a multi-year project, so far, The Arcade’s restoration is still a work in progress. Only 20 of the 50 retail spaces are occupied. Finishing touches are still being added. “It’s chess, not checkers,” says Chuck Draper, a designer with Dryden Studio.
Shop and dine
In The Arcade’s latest iteration, you’ll find some historic gems — like The Peanut Shop. Originally opened by the peanut company Planters in 1927, the favorite downtown fixture was one of the building’s earliest tenants.
A group of new businesses have also opened shop since the renovation, including: Flea Style hat bar, Savannah Bee Company (selling honey and care products), Ugly Bagel, KOKOS Ice Cream, Urban Cowboy Bar, and Roberta’s, a Brooklyn-based pizzeria.
Bar Roze, chef and owner Julia Jaksic’s newest offering, will open in an alley adjacent to The Arcade’s main concourse. Its sister properties are the popular Cafe Roze in East Nashville and Roze Pony in Belle Meade.
Artists in residence
In 2016, when new high-end hotels began opening on Fourth Avenue, “The Arcade was kind of sitting there in the dust and the shadows,” says Nick. The idea — in addition to the extensive renovation — was to find ways to breathe new life into the century-old mall.
In 2023, the owners established Arcade Arts Nashville, providing 12 artists individual studios on the building’s second floor. The residencies are for six months each, giving local artists not only studio space but exposure. There is also curated gallery space.
Pies and pints
The tenant occupying the most retail space so far is the 8,000-square-foot Urban Cowboy Bar, serving beer, wine, classic cocktails and mocktails. It includes two floors and a mezzanine.
The original plaster walls with peeling wallpaper, exposed ceiling beams and reclaimed wood floors are complemented by tobacco leather sofas and patterned blankets. A large window behind a second-floor bar offers a bird’s-eye view of the entire arcade. The first-floor space opens into Roberta’s, known for its wood-fired pizzas with creative toppings.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.