Client: Nashville International Airport

Overview

“Lyrical Journeys” is inspired by the theme of bridges as a rich metaphor for the musical, geographic, and cultural identity of Nashville. As the Cumberland River runs right through the center of Nashville, the city is connected by fifteen bridges, many of them iconic. In music composition, particularly popular and country music, a bridge is a contrasting section that prepares for the return of the verse and the chorus. In stringed musical instruments, the bridge is a piece of wood that supports the strings and transmits the vibrations of the string to the resonating body. Known as “Music City,” Nashville is a bridge connecting people who are in different places, enabling the passage of ideas.

Goals

“Lyrical Journeys” is a playful homage to the sights and sounds of Nashville. The interactive light sculpture will be suspended over the food and retail hub of BNA’s new Concourse D, adding aesthetic beauty with cascading rhythms of meandering light.

“BNA has a longstanding tradition of investing in impactful public art, and we are proud to add ‘Lyrical Journeys’ to our collection for all of our passengers to enjoy,” said Doug Kreulen, BNA president and CEO.

Measuring 90 feet long and 17.5 feet wide, “Lyrical Journeys” is constructed with 14 pairs of steel bridge plates and 20 linear strings of LED light, which create an interactive experience for travelers. The LED light strands brighten and darken in rapid succession as passengers walk beneath, creating the impression that they’re strumming the light strands as they would an instrument.