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Like all river banks in major Western cities, the Mississippi riverfront at Memphis has long been the preserve of industry and trade, or designated flood-water catchment areas off-limits to the public. Recent years, however, have seen Studio Gang – together with the Memphis city authorities – re-design the whole waterfront, turning it into a system of public spaces connected to the city.
The first segment to be re-developed and opened to the citizenry is a 12-ha site wedged between the river and downtown Memphis: the Tom Lee Park, named after a local hero who saved 32 people from drowning after a steamboat capsized in 1925. The park is the result of a collaborative effort between the Memphis River Parks Partnership, Studio Gang – for the design of the masterplan – and Scape for the landscaping project.
Previously only used for occasional open-air concerts, the area of new park was designed taking into account the wishes voiced by the general population at town halls, local community meetings and schools – a way of ensuring all age groups had their say. It was the younger members of the community, less resistant to change, who clearly expressed the desire to have an equipped, accessible riverfront seamlessly connected to the most frequented downtown areas.
The public meetings unequivocally indicated that the design goal had to be a simple, physically attractive and ecologically inviting place where people could relax, exercise, play or just meet up along the banks of the Mississippi.
The project design took its cue partly from the sinuous configuration of the riverbank itself and partly from the area’s recent industrial past.
Soil remediation was required, after which native plants were introduced, which in turn attracted birds and pollinators from nearby stretches of the river. The landscaping and plantings provided unexpected new sightlines to the river, allowing local inhabitants...
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