Taylor Place

Connecting People + Places

Nashville’s historic Werthan Building was once home to a bag factory; today, it’s part of Taylor Place, a complex including urban lofts and 6,000 square feet of office space. The building is a landmark in the historic Germantown neighborhood, and attracts new residents and Nashvillians who might not understand its history and significance. The client engaged us to bring its history to life through murals on the original warehouse and parking area.

Challenge

The client wanted to stylistically and respectfully represent its own history as well as the diversity of the Werthan site to the modern visitor.

Solution

We told the Werthan Bag Factory story on several site walls through original text and images. Along the “Foundation Wall”, we created a larger-than-life mural honoring the factory’s history. We started with digitized historical photos of the Werthan factory workers, abstracted so as to appear “ghostly” in appearance to honor the spirit of the past inhabitants. We added interpretive panels that speak to the history and the diversity of the Germantown area and the Werthan site itself. In the site’s main stair entrance, we created eye-catching art by deconstructing, layering, and manipulating vintage designs produced by the Werthan company during its many years in business.