Skip to main content

River park and cultural centre proposal for Memphis includes aquarium

News
Mud Island River Park and Cultural Center featuring a Museum Aquarium.

Developers have proposed a park and cultural centre, featuring an aquarium museum, for the riverfront area of Memphis.

The Mud Island River Park and Cultural Center vision plan is the work of architecture firm Archmania, in collaboration with Peter Chermayeff and BWS&C. It would connect the city’s riverfront and harbour with a peninsula in the river known as Mud Island through a park experience with the aquarium at its heart.

Mud Island River Park and Cultural Center featuring a Museum Aquarium.
Design rendering of the proposed Mud Island River Park and Cultural Center.

The vision plan capitalises on the built assets created in the 20th century, enhancing them with a pedestrian-oriented public park and engaging amenities. It links these to a cultural centre, where the Fourth Bluff Civic Commons will begin.

The cultural centre will showcase the rich heritage of Memphis while the Aquarium Museum, located on Mud Island, will be “a best-in-class 21st-century experience”.

Mud Island River Park and Cultural Center featuring a Museum Aquarium.
Design rendering of the proposed Mud Island River Park and Cultural Center.

The proposal has been informed by research conducted by Studio Gang Architects in 2017 that called for any projects along the river to fos­ter, restore, and connect the city, the river and the larger ecology of the area.

The city has received numerous other proposals for riverfront development. Fundraising for the Mud Island River Park and Cultural Center is set to begin this year with the hope of starting construction by 2022.

Images: c. Archmania.

Share this

Sam McCaffrey

Journalist. Likes immersive entertainment experiences, museums, zoos and the odd go on a Waltzer.

More from this author

More from this author

Related content

Your web browser is out of date. Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.

Find out how to update