Legislative Plaza

Learning

Preservation

Workplace

From 1970-1972 the sites of the former Memorial Square and Capitol Boulevard, to the east of the War Memorial Building and immediately south of the Capitol, were converted to War Memorial Plaza and Legislative Plaza. The existing building is comprised of three levels: a partially below grade office level with two levels of underground parking below. The roof of the building is the War Memorial Plaza, a public urban court, which is used for civic events throughout the year and the Governor’s inauguration every four years. The existing footprint is approximately 80,000 SF, and along with the War Memorial Building the projects comprise an entire city block, from MLK to Union and from 6th Ave to 7th Ave. The existing plaza contains sculptural monuments ranging from WWI to the Gulf War.

The renovation scope includes complete plaza resurfacing, roofing, and landscaping. Monuments shall be cleaned and preserved. The existing office level will be renovated to include a new State conferencing center, a new Capitol Visitor Center, new spaces for Veterans Groups, a new home for the Tennessee Historical Society, and a new home for the Military Branch of the Tennessee State Museum. Two new entry tower elements will be constructed along 6th Avenue, centered on the War Memorial Building and Deaderick Street, which will for the first time give the office level a celebrated public-facing entrance. Additionally, the existing subterranean connections to the Motlow Tunnel and the Capitol will be partially reconstructed and waterproofed.

Centric Architecture served as a design collaborator with EOA Architects and Gallagher & Associates. The project is expected to open for the next governor's inauguration in 2027.