Work on the ‘green campus’ for US tech mogul Larry Ellison started on site this week, with a groundbreaking ceremony on 10 November.
The development is reported to cost $4.5 billion (£3.4 billion), spans approximately 28ha and 1.2km of waterfront along the Cumberland River in the city’s East Bank.
It features five office clusters positioned around the edge of a vast lake as well as a floating amphitheatre.
A new bridge crosses the river to connect the campus with the Germantown neighbourhood, joining up with a pedestrian pathway that ‘hugs’ the lake and weaves through the office clusters.
The different buildings within the office clusters are connected by a uniform deck level and a network of elevated bridges that offer scenic views of the natural surroundings.
Fosters said the design was inspired by the city’s industrial heritage. It added that the design breaks down the massing of the traditional office to create a series of more personalised spaces for different teams, while still retaining a strong sense of community.
Each cluster has its own amenities, such as libraries and dining facilities, to promote inter-departmental collaboration. The office buildings provide fully customisable spaces to meet different needs, feature light-filled atriums, and offer ‘strong’ visual connections to nature throughout.
The project introduces s 6.7ha of public green space, including a 0.8ha park, a plaza with retail, and a multi-modal green loop that wraps around the site.
The scheme also includes an auditorium, a visitor centre, a logistics hub and the first Nobu hotel in Nashville.
Fosters said the design team was working closely with ecologists to create a range of different ecological zones across the campus, including more than 1,900 trees and habitats designed to support biodiversity.
Water enters the lake from streams that meander through the office clusters to create a ‘serene’ working environment.
The practice said the design would encourage sustainable mobility through pedestrian routes and bicycle lanes that take Oracle employees through a nature reserve to their lakeside offices.
Because the site is in a flood zone, all critical infrastructure is elevated above flood levels, with car parking tucked underneath the buildings.
The development is targeting LEED Gold certification.
‘The campus will be a dynamic hub for Oracle and a new destination for the people of Nashville,’ said Gerard Evenden, head of studio at Foster + Partners. ‘We are greening the industrial site and restoring its biodiversity, while introducing acres of green space and amenities that give back to the city.
‘Interconnected office clusters carefully balance private and communal spaces – and ensure employees retain a relationship with nature at every level.’
Oracle is one of the largest companies in the world, specialising in enterprise software, cloud computing services and hardware systems. It was co-founded in 1977 by Ellison, who serves as its executive chairman and chief technology officer.
The campus has more than 1,900 trees and habitats designed to support biodiversity
Source: Foster + Partners
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