Curbed — “Memphis Waterfront Redesign by Studio Gang Revealed”
July 20, 2017
“Chicago’s Studio Gang, led by architect Jeanne Gang, finds intriguing ways to blend the man-made with the organic. The famous Aqua Tower in Chicago draws its wave-like facade from terrestrial topography, while the angled form of the WMS Boathouse on the city’s namesake river references the motion of rowers.
The firm’s latest project, a scheme to redesign and redevelop a six-mile section of riverfront in Memphis, Tennessee, offers another showcase of the studio’s unique philosophy of blending the natural and artificial. Along with the Studio’s recent plans for a prototype police station and Philadelphia neighborhood, this new park plan shows the firm is also becoming skilled at community-directed urbanism. The scheme was the result of extensive community surveys and research, with thousands of residents, as well as interviews with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s riverfront task force and deep dives into previous attempts to redesign the Mississippi riverfront.
Focused on connecting the city and its residents with each other and the river, it’s a forward-thinking look at public design, and an attempt to create a signature civic gathering space.”
