The newly transformed Tom Lee Park by Studio Gang and SCAPE Architects reopened this weekend to the public. Located alongside the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis, the 31-acre park is a centerpiece of the city’s riverfront. As an essential zone included in Studio Gang’s six-mile masterplan for the riverfront, the design will serve as a model of the restored natural ecology of urban parks.
In 2018, Studio Gang was selected to revitalize the Memphis waterfront in collaboration with SCAPE, the NYC-based urban designers and landscape architecture firm. In the proposal, Tom Lee Park encompassed significant priority as it expanded its reach to the city's landscape's natural and urban elements.
The park provides panoramic views of the river and the Arkansan wetlands beyond. A step away from Memphis’s historic downtown, the design grants easy access to the infamous Cotton Row, National Civil Rights Museum, and Cobblestone Landing. Moreover, the new entry plaza to the riverfront accommodates public gatherings, art installations, and a space for “play and relaxation.”
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At its core, the design aims to strengthen the connection between downtown Memphis and the river. It offers the first accessible access to the river, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), at the Cutbank Bluff. Additionally, it provides safer pedestrian crossings at Vance, Huling, and Butler Streets on Riverside Drive.
The park features three newly constructed pavilions crafted from timber, taking inspiration from the industrial structures that once existed along the riverfront. Combined with fresh landscaping elements and a river-themed playground designed by Monstrum, these structures serve as enticing destinations for various activities, such as recreation, outdoor education, dining, and performances. They enhance these experiences against the backdrop of the vibrant Mississippi River.
Instead of the previous flat lawn, the park now boasts rolling hills adorned with native plants and trees, creating spaces inspired by the dynamic nature of the Mississippi River. These areas are divided into four zones, each with a unique character ranging from civic and recreational to contemplative. They accommodate a wide range of activities and provide a habitat for native birds and pollinator insects that migrate along the Mississippi Flyway Corridor.
At the heart of the park is the Sunset Canopy, a 16,000 sq ft timber structure supported by steel columns, protecting the park users from sun and rain. The canopy is the architectural centerpiece of the design, hosting community activities and year-round events, including basketball, fitness classes, dance lessons, and concerts. On the ground level surface, it boasts a multi-colored, geometrically patterned court designed by artist James Little, who was born and raised in Memphis.
South of this area of activity is a permanent installation by the Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates, entitled “A Monument to Listening.” The installation is inspired by the story of Tom Lee, set amongst meditative walking paths, and supporting social programming.
Studio Gang is an American architecture and urban design practice known for its collaboration across many disciplines and ultimate focus on sustainability. Last year, their founder Jeanne Gang was named the 2023 recipient of the Charlotte Perriand Award by The Créateurs Design Awards. Moreover, many of the studio’s projects are centered around activating community spaces all over the world. In fact, their redesign of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock, US has just opened to the public. In 2020, Snøhetta, Studio Gang, and Henning Larsen unveiled their designs for the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota.
