NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville's iconic skyline has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade, evolving from a modest collection of buildings into a towering urban landscape that newcomers might find hard to believe once looked vastly different.
The change is so striking that comparing photos and videos side-by-side reveals what feels like two entirely different cities. For longtime residents who have called Nashville home for 30 years, the transformation is like night and day.
I wanted to capture three very different perspectives on how this skyline has changed, viewing it from various angles to tell the complete story of Nashville's growth.
From the air, street and everywhere in between
Whether viewed from the air, the street or somewhere in between, Nashville's skyline tells a different story no matter which direction you face. It's simply not what it used to be.
"The skyline is gorgeous," said NewsChannel 5's Senior Chief Photojournalist Mike Rose. "You know it's hard to put it into words when you come into the downtown proper, it's like, okay this is becoming a legit skyline," said one observer.
For those who moved to Nashville in the last decade, the old Nashville – simple and contemporary for its time – feels vastly different from today's crowds and bustling energy.
A photographer's time-lapse perspective
Rose has a unique vantage point, controlling cameras that capture the city's evolution from above. Looking back at Sky 5 archives, he found video of flights through downtown from 2008.
"Maybe 10 years ago, this used to be the skyline," he said while demonstrating how he can fade between past and present footage. "But right now, I mean I can just kind of pan out a little bit. And look at all that development."
That 2008 Nashville looks like an old baby picture compared to today's sprawling development.
"Part of me loves the new Nashville," he said. "And the way that it's built out. The glassification of Nashville. I just hope that we have an appreciation for our past,."
Documenting change through seasons
Photographer Tabitha Hawk has captured the same skyline season after season. Her first photo goes back to 2003, creating a real-life time lapse of Nashville's transformation.
"The old Nashville needs to stay around because that kind of gives it character," Hawk said.
Her 2018 photograph compared to current shots reveals the dramatic pace of recent development.
"I've definitely seen a lot of the buildings go up and it blocks the most characteristic building that Nashville is known for – the Batman building," she said.
Working within the changing skyline
James Webster works within the skyline itself, installing signs on high-rise buildings across the country, including more than a dozen projects in Nashville.
"I'm going to put a sign on that building," he said. "That's what I think when I see these things.
I had the opportunity to share that rare perspective. Webster invited me atop One Nashville Place.
"What really keeps me interested in the challenges and of course the danger involved," he said.
Webster and his team recently removed signs from atop One Nashville Place, giving the building a different look in a city that's grown accustomed to change.
"I hardly even recognize this city now when I come in here to work," he said. "We do travel a lot and go to other cities but of course this is home and every time that I come downtown, even when I'm driving in in the mornings I'm looking at it going what happened?"
Finding common ground in gratitude
Despite their different perspectives, all three observers share gratitude for where Nashville came from and what it's becoming.
"Progress is a good thing but it's also good to have that character of the old buildings," Hawk said. "Keep the old Nashville alive."
We all see the transformation differently. Some call it progress. Some call it a loss. Perhaps it's both, as the new Nashville stands tall beside the old, like looking at that old baby photo. Together, they tell a story of who we were, who we are and who we have yet to become.
According to the Downtown Nashville Partnership, 26 new high-rise buildings have been constructed downtown since 2009.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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