GEODIS Park  | Nashville, Tennessee | 2021

Architects: Hastings Architecture
Lead Architect: David Powell
Associate Architects: Populous, Inc.
General Contractor: M. A Mortenson Company and Messer Construction Co.
Client: Metro Nashville Sports Authority
Photographers: Tom Harris

Standing at the heart of the Nashville Fairgrounds Redevelopment Master Plan, GEODIS Park, home to Nashville’s Soccer Club, captures the energy and dedication of Nashville fans with a design reminiscent of the site’s industrial past that is thoughtfully responsive to the surrounding residential neighborhood.

The anchor of the 117-acre urban renewal, GEODIS Park is inspired by the buzzing creative community and former manufacturing facilities that define the neighborhood. Its contemporary structure allows form to follow function. A simple, rational structure with expressed cross-bracing establishes a strong identity and creates an open-air venue protected by a 360-degree canopy.

The exposed steel structure nods to the site’s industrial past, as well as to the adjacent Nashville Speedway and the fairground rides that once claimed the site. The brick-clad concourse brings the structure back down to the pedestrian level and establishes a clear connection with the surrounding residential homes.

Thoughtful design elements provide fans with a spectacular game-day experience and boast a look and feel that speaks to the creativity of Music City. GEODIS Park is also meant for more than soccer – designed to host concerts and community activities, further reinforcing the building as a magnet for the community.

The passion of the fanbase in Nashville is re-created via a design aesthetic that speaks to authenticity, giving the fans a chance to bring their own distinctive enthusiasm to game-day traditions. The fan-facing aesthetic from approach to concourse and bowl confidently represents the neighborhood’s industrial aesthetic with an exposed structure.

Colorful banners featuring the faces of players and fans adorn the exterior columns; murals and posters around the exterior and throughout the club spaces reflect the history of the Nashville SC; and, in true Music City form, a stage is built into the seating bowl for live performances before the soccer matches.

The site’s master plan was funded by Metro Nashville and developed over two years through multiple data-driven studies that identified the best mixed-use scenario based on market analyses.

GEODIS Park’s success is defined by each game’s overwhelming attendance. Tickets to the club’s opening match were sold out within minutes of being open to the public. Since the first match, GEODIS Park has averaged 29,168 fans per game (96% of the stadium seats), almost completely selling out every game. In June, Nashville Soccer Club surpassed 23,000 season ticket memberships and sold out their allotment of season tickets for the season.