Starwood
An Encore at Last
Few projects carry the emotional weight, complexity, and public scrutiny of the former Starwood Amphitheatre site. For decades, Starwood wasn’t just a venue, it became a rite of passage. A place where people remember their first concert, their loudest night, the mud, the traffic, the heat, the magic.
When it closed in 2007, it left behind more than 65 acres of vacant land and a void in the city’s cultural landscape.
Our work on Starwood sits at the intersection of past and future. We defined our role as “historic integration,” ensuring the site’s musical legacy remains present in the new development while allowing the Antioch community to move forward after more than two decades of dormancy. Simply put, it’s time for a new future.
Design: Studio Delger
Owner: Link Logistics
Landscape Architect: Kimley-Horn
Location: 3839 Murfreesboro Pike, Antioch, TN 37013
The Tribute Trail
At the heart of the project is the Tribute Trail, a neighborhood perimeter park designed to honor Starwood’s legacy. Interpretive signage along the trail focuses on key themes throughout the venue’s history, plus a comprehensive timeline of the shows (and stars) who played there. Visitors to the park will be able to stand where their favorite artists performed, point to every show they attended, and marvel at the ones they missed.
This work required going back to original source materials. We have researched and verified every concert that happened at Starwood from 1986–2006 by looking at newspaper articles and ads. (Online information was unreliable, requiring us to really spend the time to seek out original sources.)
It’s a perfect way to honor what people loved about Starwood without letting the site remain frozen in time.
Astute marketers may be curious how we reused the old logo. Working closely with an intellectual property attorney, we confirmed the copyright was abandoned, and we were able to secure and reuse it for our client, which felt like a big win for preserving the memory of such a special piece of Nashville history.
Roundabout Sculpture
While reviewing site plans, an unadorned roundabout presented an opportunity for a focal art piece. The concept of the proposed sculpture takes inspiration from the “Three trees with star light” design of the Starwood logo. The idea extends to hint at myriad stars who once performed here. Additionally, the blank star cut-outs are to be retained and repurposed as engraved “thank you” gifts for the many contributors who helped make the project a reality.
