Our project will transform a transit stop in Memphis, TN. The project will improve the safety of users, use energy efficient techniques, increase public awareness of community history, discourage vandalism, increase accessibility, and improve overall attractiveness. This is a community driven project with interest from all key stakeholders.
The design of the bus stop will incorporate jukebox elements and punk aesthetics. The project will celebrate and pay tribute to post-70s bands such as Jeff Buckley, The Reatards, The Klitz, The Replacements and local venues and studios that supported them. The Madison/Belvedere stop is located in the midst of a historical underground music scene that was centered around the Antenna Club. Our design will highlight the history that is oftentimes overshadowed by the Memphis blues heritage.
We will improve the safety of users by increasing visibility. Users will be able to observe people approaching from the dark, and easily view oncoming traffic and pedestrian activity. Bright lighting will be installed to deter crime and increase safety.
The design will also discourage vandalism, increase accessibility, and improve overall attractiveness. The bus shelter will be ADA compliant and incorporate features for easy access of all user types. In addition, the design will be aesthetically pleasing and consistent with the characteristics of surrounding development.
This bus stop is the first step in a comprehensive plan to revitalize the park area on the corner of Belvedere Blvd and Madison Ave. As the success of Overton Square continues to grow, this bus stop will serve as a community land mark for those traveling Madison Ave.
Memphis is a city that is on the come up. The recent efforts on Broad Avenue and in Overton Square show that people care about creating places of importance. To follow upon these successes, the Madison Ave./Belvedere Blvd. bus stop can be a local artistic expression that tells the rich history of this Midtown community while hinting at its future. Building upon this project, our group plans to revitalize the park space for a pop-up gallery for the local art schools and artists, showing that Madison Avenue has its own culture that adds to Memphis’s eclectic scene.