Civic
City Council Chambers
Chattanooga, TN
CLIENT:
City of Chattanooga
COMPLETION:
2001 / 2012
SIZE:
12,000 sq. ft.
DESCRIPTION:
The Chattanooga City Council Building is a renovation of the former Municipal Court and Jail building in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Designed in 1937 by W. H. Sears and P. B. Shepherd Architects, the exterior limestone elevations were detailed in the Art Deco style. The new program provided a large entry lobby, a 150-seat council chamber, meeting room, and council administrative offices on the first floor. The second floor has private offices for each of the nine Council members. A new connector contains a stairway and elevator with a connecting lobby back to City Hall.
The new lobby provides a large civic space to serve the new chamber room. Part of the second floor was demolished to provide a full two-story space for the new Council Chamber. Because the old courtroom on the second floor had a 46 ft.clear span, it was decided to demolish the second floor at this courtroom to provide a full two-story space for the new Council Chamber below without significant structural modifications. The new chamber is 24 ft. high at the exterior walls to take advantage of two floors of windows, which provide a great amount of daylight to the room. A curved, raised dais for the Council is clad in stained cherry and birch wood paneling. Stainless steel and bronze metalwork recall the Art Deco flutings and chevron motifs of the original building.
In 2012, the City commissioned the installation of a 6,500 SF vegetated roof as part of a on-going mission to increase environmental stewardship and reduce stormwater impact citywide.
The new lobby provides a large civic space to serve the new chamber room. Part of the second floor was demolished to provide a full two-story space for the new Council Chamber. Because the old courtroom on the second floor had a 46 ft.clear span, it was decided to demolish the second floor at this courtroom to provide a full two-story space for the new Council Chamber below without significant structural modifications. The new chamber is 24 ft. high at the exterior walls to take advantage of two floors of windows, which provide a great amount of daylight to the room. A curved, raised dais for the Council is clad in stained cherry and birch wood paneling. Stainless steel and bronze metalwork recall the Art Deco flutings and chevron motifs of the original building.
In 2012, the City commissioned the installation of a 6,500 SF vegetated roof as part of a on-going mission to increase environmental stewardship and reduce stormwater impact citywide.