by Chris Cannon
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Teams from across the world took 75 acres on the east bank of the Cumberland River in Nashville and let their imaginations run wild.
The teams were part of the Designing Action Nashville competition sponsored by the Nashville Civic Design Center.
"It's a great site, with a lot of opportunities and we wanted to address a lot of opportunities that could be brought to Nashville," said Julia Landstreet, director of the Civic Design Center.
139 teams, from 29 countries, on six continents entered the competition. Judges narrowed those entries down to 17 and then three finalists were chosen.
The teams had no limitations for their conceptual plan for the east bank of the river. They also did not have to work within the confines of a budget.
The winning design named The Bend was chosen as the winner. Mike Albert from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design was part of the winning team. He was in Nashville Thursday for the announcement of the winner.
Albert said he took into consideration the history of the land and how the design would encourage Nashvillians to use it for recreational purposes.
"It's a little mix of everything. And I think that's what's so special about this competition, it was designing for the future generation and for an active lifestyle," Albert said.
The Bend features another stadium, retention ponds for recreational use, retail space and playing fields. Another pedestrian bridge across the Cumberland River was also part of the design.
The concepts are just that, concepts. No one expects the ideas to become a reality anytime soon. But they are there as a conversation starter when planners do tackle that area of East Nashville.
"If you don't think big, you're not going to get big," Landstreet said.
The winners of the competition received a $5,000 check for their entry.
email: ccannon@newschannel5.com
