The Riverfront Boathouse is a 3-story building sited on the north bank of the Tennessee River. The approximately 18,000-square-foot facility serves as an anchor to the west end of the Volunteer Landing park and pavilion project (also designed by MHM).
The boathouse program called for a multi-function building. The University of Tennessee’s Women’s Rowing Team occupies the first two floors. The first floor functions as boat storage and a workshop and the second floor is used for offices, training, and locker and toilet areas and also includes a large multi-purpose room overlooking the river and downtown Knoxville.
The third floor of the building houses a university and sports-themed restaurant, the Tennessee Grill, with 350 seating capacity of the 6,200 SF. Large glass windows on three sides afford dramatic views of the river and natural surroundings.
The design of the boathouse was shaped by the site, long and narrow, and by the park, open and welcoming. The building is a blend of contemporary and indigenous materials such as glass and aluminum glazing systems, natural cedar horizontal siding and a standing seam metal roof.
The Riverfront Boathouse presents itself as a significant and complementary part of the downtown riverfront development, as well as a link between the University of Tennessee and downtown Knoxville.
