Harmonic Counterpoint
fall 2022 | Cornell NOMAS
2nd place, 2022 Barbara G. Laurie Student Competition
our proposal
pre-highway
I-40
27th St
Alameda Ave
In music, counterpoint refers to two or more musical lines which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. Similarly, our project Harmonic Counterpoint reconnects the North Nashville neighborhood that was torn apart by the construction of highway I-40 with not only one bridge, but with two architectural statements forming an X.
The X recreates the intersection of Alameda Avenue and 27th Street above and below the highway. The former off-ramp is rerouted and is now reoccupied by landscaping. It also serves as a pedestrian entry point that meanders into the X.
Repurposed off-ramp leads to upper level bridge.
Jefferson Street was once the soul of this neighborhood and at its peak music could be heard up and down and it. From Club Baron, to the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and to the annual Tennessee State University Parade, Jefferson Street was integral to all aspects of the community.
Similarly, music is woven into all aspects of our project and ties together the three programmatic elements.
direct passage
art and history
social gatherings
On the above-ground bridge, a trio of circulation meander and interweave along the bridge surface, one connecting circular performance pits, another guiding rivulets of gallery and graffiti walls, and the third directly linking the east end of the bridge to the west. It encourages the encounter of different people and the dialogue of different opinions.
Jefferson St
Pearl-Cohn
High School
The underground connection resurrects lost typologies and experiences, such as live music heard in Club Del Morocco and entertainment seen at the Ritz Theater. It extends all the way from Jefferson Street to Pearl-Cohn school, serving as an architectural passage from the past to the future.
The energy from the underground bridge is not merely contained in the tunnel. It seeps into the surrounding streets and homes through a series of skylights and apertures. Lights, voices, and music exude from the underground paradise to proclaim and spread the presence of the community beyond the site.
Competition Team
Desai Wang
Jeff Li
Many thanks to our advisors Latesha and Suzanne!
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