A New Riverfront Experience

River Garden is a compact public park on the downtown Memphis waterfront. The Garden was recently renovated and completed in 2018, in alliance with the forward-thinking 'Reimagining the Civic Commons' national initiative, seeking to foster socioeconomic mixing, sustainability and civic engagement through thoughtful design interventions. In this way, Groundswell Design Group Mississippi adaptively reinterpreted the long-underutilized public space (previously known as River Park). Formerly an expansive sea of lawn, the park functioned as a brief thoroughfare for riverfront joggers, bicyclists and the occasional kayak event. Though just under 2 acres in size, the park felt introverted and massive - devoid of human-scaled spaces, comfort and a sense of nature. Despite these setbacks, the central park is a crucial keystone piece: linking 6-miles of riverfront public parks and trails while also tying into the greater circulatory system of Downtown Memphis, Mud Island and residential neighborhoods to its north and south.

Re-Identifying With the River
Given this, the design team reimagined the site as "River Garden," a thoughtfully designed park that invites visitors of all ages and abilities to challenge themselves with a little everyday adventure. The design adaptively builds off the site's existing assets, enhancing open green space, panoramic river views, and rolling topography along Riverside Drive. Through impressive placemaking efforts, the result is a holistic reactivation of public space - a lively and dynamic park for Memphians to call their own.

The design process began in the fall of 2016 with a series of charrettes hosted by Memphis River Parks Partnership and Innovate Memphis. Community members included groups of artists, museum staffers, architects, food truck owners, philanthropists, park staff, community leaders and downtown businesses. Feedback overwhelmingly called for a new riverfront experience, seeking opportunities to "re-identify with the river" and play as if "in your own backyard." Memphis River Parks Partnership intensified efforts to build its volunteer engagement and build a sense of shared ownership and inclusivity.

Tree Houses and Nests
Thinking holistically, Groundswell's designs prioritize inclusive and fence-free play throughout the site, using strategic site elements, open space, plantings and adventurous modular structures. As a prefabricated structure, the Tree House represents an adaptable and design-forward alternative to conventional, site-built play structures. It comprises three large "rooms" and an accessible ramp with splayed stilts set at different elevations.

Giant birds' nests add whimsy and were inspired by a desire for naturalistic play elements, coupled with a celebration of wildlife along the River. The nests are very much of their place; the artist who created them harvested branches, vines and driftwood for their construction from the site's adjacent riverbanks. Situated on a soft bed of wood fiber at ground level, the nests are open and inviting, beckoning park-goers to come sit and play inside. Upon accessing the elevated nest from the treehouse, visitors discover a cluster of speckled giant Mockingbird eggs meant to inspire a sense of curiosity and wonder. Additionally, an eclectic collection of birdhouses are hidden throughout the park, surprising park-goers with year-round wildlife sightings. These birdhouses offer new habitat for the riverfront bird communities, as well as observational and educational opportunities for guests to learn about local wildlife.

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