View of the skyline of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee
View of the skyline of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee

This list of tallest buildings in Knoxville ranks skyscrapers and other structures by height in the U.S. city of Knoxville, Tennessee. The tallest building in Knoxville is the First Tennessee Plaza (Plaza Tower), at 27 stories, followed by the adjacent Riverview Tower, at 24 stories. The Tower at Morgan Hill (formerly the Kingston Apartments) is the third highest at 21 stories. The Sunsphere, which stands at 265 feet (81 m), is the city's fourth tallest.

Tallest buildings

This list ranks the top-ten tallest buildings in Knoxville, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.

Rank Name Image Height in feet Height in Meters Floors Year Ref
1 First Tennessee Plaza 327 100 27 1979 [1]
2 Riverview Tower 312 95 24 1985 [1]
3 Tower at Morgan Hill (Kingston Apartments) 22 1967 [1]
4 Sunsphere 265 81 5 1982 [2]
5 Andrew Johnson Building 203 62 18 1928 [3]
6 The Holston 193 59 15 1912 [4][5]
7 The Burwell/Tennessee Theatre Upload image 167 51 10 1907 [6]
8 Sterchi Lofts 147 45 12 1926 [7]
9 US Bank Building Upload image 146.87 12 1965 [8]
10 Church Street United Methodist Church 141 43 2 1931 [9]
11 Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee (A Wing) Upload image 124 38 10 1948 [10]

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville's campus contains several tall buildings. While sources on their height are difficult to find, sources that list the number of stories indicate that, if their heights were known, a few of them may be among Knoxville's tallest ten buildings (as in the table above). As of January 28, 2024, the tallest buildings on campus as measured by number of stories (given in parentheses for each) — and that have at least as many stories as the smallest building listed on the table above — were the McClung Tower (17), Laurel Residence Hall (15), Carrick Hall North (14), Dabney-Buehler Hall (14), Andy Holt Tower (13), Volunteer Hall (12), Hess Hall (11), 11th Street Parking Garage (10), Frank G Clement Hall (10), Massey Hall (10), Stokely Management Center (10), and the West Skybox Addition (10).[11] Interestingly, Carrick Hall South is listed as having 0 stories, despite having connecting stories with Carrick Hall North.[11][12]

Demolished buildings

The smokestack of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's steam plant was one of Knoxville's tallest buildings from its completion in 1966 until its demolition in 2016. Standing at 300 feet tall (which is taller than the Sunsphere), it was the tallest building on campus at the time of its completion.[13][14] The coal-powered steam plant was converted to a natural gas plant, which included the smokestack being demolished; this process started in March 2014 and concluded in January 2016.[15] A time-lapse video of the entire demolition process was recorded and posted online.[16]

Tallest proposed

This is a partial list of skyscrapers and high-rises that have been planned in Knoxville at over 15 stories, but which projects have been canceled.

Rank Name Height in feet Height in Meters District Floors Ref
1 Fountains at Parkside 249 76 West Knoxville 12 [5][17]
2 Worsham Watkins Tower 150 46 Downtown Knoxville 35 [18]
3 Church/Gay Street Development II Unavailable 25 [19]
4 Hyatt Hotel 18 [20]
5 Church/Gay Street Development I 17 [21]

References

  1. ^ a b c Roger Harris, "Vacant Tower Has Its Critics," Knoxville News-Sentinel, 31 January 2007.
  2. ^ Sunsphere, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-07
  3. ^ Andrew Johnson Building, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-07
  4. ^ The Holston, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-07
  5. ^ a b Diagrams (Knoxville) SkyscraperPage.com Retrieved 2010-04-07
  6. ^ Burwell Building, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-07
  7. ^ Sterchi Lofts, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-07
  8. ^ Ayers Hall, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-07
  9. ^ Church Street United Methodist Church, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-07
  10. ^ Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee - A Wing, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-07
  11. ^ a b "CAMPUS BUILDING LIST". Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  12. ^ "North Carrick Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  13. ^ Holt, Andrew (January 1969). "[Annual Report of the President] The University of Tennessee, Biennial Report, 1966-1968: Hallmarks of Greatness". Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  14. ^ Creekmore, Betsey (October 15, 2018). "Steam Plant". Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  15. ^ "Steam Plant Conversion". Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  16. ^ UT FacilitiesServices. "Smokestack Demolition Timelapse". Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  17. ^ Fountains at Parkside, Knoxville, U.S.A. Retrieved 2010-04-07
  18. ^ Worsham Watkins Tower, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-09
  19. ^ Church/Gay Street Development - Phase II, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-09
  20. ^ Hyatt Hotel, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-09
  21. ^ Church/Gay Street Development - Phase I, Knoxville, U.S.A. Emporis.com. Retrieved 2010-04-09
Categories