AT&T Building (Nashville) facts for kids

AT&T Building
View of the AT&T Building
Former names	South Central Bell Building BellSouth Building
Alternative names	Batman Building
General information
Type	Office building
Architectural style	Postmodern
Address	333 Commerce Street Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Coordinates	36°9′45″N 86°46′37″W / 36.16250°N 86.77694°W / 36.16250; -86.77694
Construction started	1991
Topped-out	October 24, 1993
Completed	September 1994
Opened	October 1994
Cost	US$94 million
Owner	Pitney Bowes (1994–2006) Cerberus Capital Management (2006–2007) MTL Leasing (2007–present)
Height
Antenna spire	617 ft (188.1 m)
Roof	452 ft (137.8 m)
Technical details
Floor count	33
Floor area	690,297 sq ft (64,131 m2) office area >1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m2) total area
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Earl Swensson Associates
Developer	The Mathews Company
Structural engineer	Stanley D. Lindsey and Assoc.
Services engineer	I. C. Thomasson Assoc.
Main contractor	Brasfield & Gorrie Ray Bell Construction

The AT&T Building is a very tall, 33-story building in Nashville, Tennessee. It was finished in September 1994. People often call it the Batman Building because of its unique shape. This building is about 617 feet (188 meters) tall. It was designed as an office tower for about 2,000 workers. Today, it is the tallest building in the state of Tennessee.

Architecture and Design

Sloping glass roof of the AT&T Building

The AT&T Building sits on a property that is about 2.7 acres (11,000 square meters). It covers a large area, almost two-thirds of a city block. The building has a special entrance area called a "winter garden atrium" that is three stories tall. It also has a huge underground parking garage with space for 1,300 cars.

Its unique design and dark color remind many people of the superhero Batman. That's why it earned the nickname "Batman Building." Richard Miller, who was the president of the company that designed it, said they wanted a very special building. He explained that what happens inside the building helped shape how it looks on the outside.

In 2009, a French online business magazine called it one of the 12 most original office buildings in the world. This shows how special its design is. In 2011, a drawing of the AT&T Building was even put on Tennessee's driver's licenses. It appeared alongside other famous buildings from different cities in Tennessee.

Who Works There?

AT&T is a large telecommunications company. They have had their main office for Tennessee in this building since it opened in 1994. Before AT&T, the building was home to companies like BellSouth Telecommunications and South Central Bell. AT&T uses a large part of the office space, about 500,000 square feet (46,000 square meters). They renewed their lease in 2019, so they will stay there for a long time.

Other companies have also used space in the building. For example, Nissan North America had a temporary office there for two years. Hankook Tire America and U.S. Bank have also been tenants.

Local TV station WTVF Channel 5 uses the building too. They have two live cameras on the western spire of the building. These cameras were set up in 1995 and 1996. They are used to show beautiful views of Nashville and help cover news events.

Who Owns the Building?

After the AT&T Building was finished in 1994, a company called Prefco XIV L.P. bought it for about $100.8 million. This company was part of Pitney Bowes. In 2006, the building's ownership changed to EntreCap Financial. This company was a part of Cerberus Capital Management.

After buying it, Cerberus decided to sell the building again. In 2007, MTL Leasing LLC bought the building. They have owned it ever since.

See also

In Spanish: AT%26T Building (Nashville) para niños