AT&T Building (Batman Building)

AT&T 빌딩 (배트맨 빌딩)

333 Commerce Street is a 33-story skyscraper in Nashville, Tennessee, finished in September 1994. It is 617 feet (188 m) tall and is the tallest building in Tennessee. Its dark colour and two tall spires on top make it look like the mask of the comic-book hero Batman, so most people call it the Batman Building. It used to be called the AT&T Building, and before that the South Central Bell Building and the BellSouth Building.

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At a glance

Country: United States
Location: Nashville, USA
Built: 1994
Height: 188 m
Type: Skyscraper

Quick answers

Where is AT&T Building (Batman Building)?

AT&T Building (Batman Building) is in Nashville, USA, United States.

When was AT&T Building (Batman Building) built?

AT&T Building (Batman Building) was built in 1994.

How tall is AT&T Building (Batman Building)?

AT&T Building (Batman Building) is about 188 m tall.

Nashville's tallest building, nicknamed the "Batman Building" for its two ear-like spires.

The building was designed as an office tower for up to 2,000 workers. It stands on 2.7 acres on Commerce Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues North. Some people see something else in it, the tower under the Eye of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings stories. In 2009 a French business website listed it among the 12 most original office buildings in the world.

Why it looks like Batman

The architects were Earl Swensson Associates. Their president, Richard Miller, explained that the telephone company wanted a signature piece of architecture, and that what happens inside a building drives how the outside looks. The result was the dark tower with two spires, one pointing up on each side, like the ears of Batman's cowl. Since 2011 a drawing of the tower has appeared on Tennessee driver's licences next to the Memphis Pyramid, Knoxville's Sunsphere and the Tennessee Aquarium, until a new design with the state capitol replaced it in 2024.

What is inside

The foyer is a three-story winter garden atrium. Under the building there is a nine-story parking garage that holds 1,300 vehicles. Up on the western spire, the local TV station WTVF Channel 5 has two cameras controlled from far away; they were installed in 1995 and 1996 and give scenic views of Nashville and help cover news.

Who works and owns it

AT&T, earlier BellSouth and before that South Central Bell, has had its Tennessee headquarters here since 1994, and it was the only tenant until 2006. Today AT&T uses about 500,000 square feet. Nissan North America used twelve floors as a temporary headquarters for two years before moving to Franklin, Tennessee, in 2008. The building sold for 100.8 million dollars after it was finished and is now owned by MetLife Investment Management.