The new Tennessee Performing Arts Center is designed to be both an architectural landmark and part of the neighborhood it serves. 

Located along the Cumberland River and connected to downtown by the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, the 307,000-square-foot campus is integrated into the East Bank’s vision for a connected, accessible community. 

Its sculptural facade, composed of reflective aluminum elements, shifts with light and perspective, creating a presence that is visible across the river while remaining open and welcoming at street level. Inspired by the movement of a theater curtain, the exterior arches lift to reveal the activity within.  

Designed by BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group in collaboration with William Rawn Associates and HASTINGS Architecture, the building brings performance, education, and public space together in one connected cultural campus. 

The experience begins the moment you arrive. 

A light-filled atrium draws the energy of the city inside, connecting multiple performance spaces through shared gathering areas. Grand staircases, lounges and open sightlines create opportunities to connect before, after and between performances. 

Throughout the building, a transparent rehearsal space offers a glimpse behind the scenes, while a sensory room provides a calm, low-stimulation environment during performances. At the top, a roof terrace opens to sweeping views of Broadway, the Cumberland River and the Nashville skyline. 

Outdoor staircases connect TPAC to the river, integrating the center into the East Bank and strengthening its connection to the city beyond. Landscaping by OLIN surrounds the building with diverse plant life, public gathering areas, play areas and spaces for outdoor performances.  

This is a space designed not just for performance, but for connection. 

TPAC brings artists, audiences and ideas together. The new center expands that role, creating space for the full spectrum of Music City’s creativity.  

From Broadway productions to resident companies, from emerging artists to global voices, this is where disciplines intersect and collaboration grows. 

As the proud home of the Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, and Nashville Repertory Theatre, the new campus strengthens a shared creative environment that elevates artistic excellence across the city.

 For more than four decades, TPAC has been part of the cultural life of Tennessee. 

This new center builds on that legacy, expanding access, deepening impact and creating a place designed for how people will gather, create and experience the arts for generations to come. 

This is not just about what we’re building. 
It’s about what it makes possible.