Tennessee Supreme Court and Old State Library and Archives Renovation, Nashville

Two of Nashville’s most recognizable civic buildings are about to get their first deep overhaul in decades. The Tennessee State Building Commission approved designs this month for a $147 million renovation and expansion of the Tennessee Supreme Court building and the old State Library and Archives building, the pair of stone-clad blocks just west of the State Capitol on Seventh Avenue North. Construction is set to start in early 2027, according to The Tennessean.

Both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Supreme Court building opened in 1937, a four-story stripped classical design by Nashville architects Marr & Holman. The library and archives building next door dates to about 1951, and the state’s own planning documents now treat its back stacks as space to be cleared out.

Project Scope

EOA Architects of Nashville is leading design, with Power Management Corporation on MEP engineering and EMC Structural Engineers on structure, per the state’s 2025 CM/GC solicitation. That document puts the two buildings at roughly 84,200 square feet combined and calls for full interior and exterior renovation, new MEP and fire protection systems, site work and a moderate reprogramming of the court building.

The biggest physical change happens behind the old archives. Crews will demolish the later stacks addition at the rear and replace it with a multi-story addition the designers describe as “architecturally compatible,” with office floors above and basement parking below. An elevated, glass-covered bridge will link the archives building to the Supreme Court, and EOA lead designer Michael Murdock told The Tennessean that walkers will get “a stunning view” of the Capitol along the way. A terrace with outdoor seating will step down the west side of Capitol Hill toward parking behind the court.

The renderings use stone and glass to match the existing palette. That’s familiar territory for EOA, which also designed the Tennessee State Museum that opened at Bicentennial Mall in 2018.

Why It Matters

Historic state buildings rarely fail all at once. They fail system by system, and these two have reached the point where piecemeal fixes don’t make sense anymore. The state chose CM/GC delivery so a builder could join early in design, which is the right call on a job that involves demolishing part of a 1950s structure next to a working high court and coordinating every exterior move with the Tennessee Historical Commission.

There’s also a capacity story. The old stacks are dead space for an office building, and swapping them for offices and parking lets the state put court staff and related functions right next to the bench instead of leasing elsewhere downtown. The next milestone to watch is the CM/GC’s guaranteed maximum price, which will show whether $147 million holds once the bids for stone, glazing and that bridge come in.

Project Team & Details