Best New Office Building

Many of Nashville’s newish large-scale buildings are excessively “busy” with numerous colors, forms and materials. In contrast, 500 11th Ave. N. in Capitol View borders on elegant. The 10-story structure offers a sufficient blend of “21st-century contemporary” design and timeless elements of conventional tall-building construction: a well-defined entrance; a base, midsection and cap that are distinguishable but work in concert; and attractive height and bulk proportionality. Northwestern Mutual, Boyle Investment Co. and architect Cooper Carry (Atlanta) have given the North Gulch a fine midrise building. WILLIAM WILLIAMS