“Tom Lee公园是一个精美且细节丰富的项目，通过材质、植物与环境背景的巧妙融合，营造出多样化的空间体验与独特感受。项目在包容性、社会公平与公共教育方面树立了令人瞩目的典范。”
– 2024年评审委员会

“Tom Lee Park is a beautiful, nicely detailed project with a great integration of materials, plantings, and context to create a variety of spaces and unique experiences. It sets a remarkable precedent for inclusivity, social equity, and learning.”
– 2024 Awards Jury

来自 ASLA 对gooood的分享。
Tom Lee Park: “Come to the River”| SCAPE / Landscape Architecture + Studio Gang

项目陈述
PROJECT STATEMENT

Tom Lee公园是孟菲斯密西西比河畔一座占地31英亩的滨水公园，被广泛赞誉，并被视为包容性场所营造与生态再生的全国典范。

公园以Tom Lee命名——这位非裔河工因在1925年蒸汽船倾覆事故中冒险营救32人而成为英雄。公园的设计致敬了他的慷慨精神，同时也回应了有关正义的公共议题。

作为面向市民开放的公共空间，公园通过多元化的空间形态回应社区诉求，凝聚了数千名居民的参与与意见。功能布局包括标志性儿童游乐场、户外学习教室、两组艺术装置、水上游乐设施、吊床林以及位于中央区域的休憩构筑物。

Tom Lee Park is a 31-acre riverfront park on the Mississippi River in Memphis. It has been celebrated and cited as a national model for inclusive placemaking and ecological regeneration.

The park is named for Tom Lee, a Black river worker who became a hero after risking his own life to save 32 people from a capsized steamboat in 1925. The design celebrates Lee’s legacy of generosity, while still confronting conversations about justice.

The park sends a warm welcome to its neighbors. Its forms create space for a range of programs that reflect input from thousands of residents: a destination playground, outdoor learning classroom, two art installations, water play features, a hammock grove, and a shelter at its heart.

▲Tom Lee公园：“走向河流”：这一总额达6100万美元的公私合营投资，邀请孟菲斯市民走近密西西比河畔，相聚交流、休闲游憩，Tom Lee Park: “Come to the River”: The $61 million public-private investment welcomes Memphians to meet each other and recreate along the banks of the Mississippi River© Tom Harris

项目说明
PROJECT NARRATIVE

孟菲斯坐落于密西西比河畔的高地之上，数百年来，这座城市的发展始终与这条河流息息相关。然而，与许多美国城市一样，孟菲斯曾一度背弃这片逐渐工业化的滨水区域。多年来，Tom Lee公园只是一片不起眼的压实草地，甚至曾被用作城市垃圾场。在2017年总体规划中，Tom Lee公园——这座城市最显眼、最易抵达的滨河公园——被视为一个重要契机：作为城市新兴滨水公园体系中的关键一环，它将成为一个全年开放、让所有孟菲斯市民能够彼此交流、亲近密西西比河的公共空间。

“包容性”贯穿了整个设计过程。公园位于市中心与田纳西州最贫困的几个区域之间，此次改造为不同背景人群提供了一个共享的公共空间，并通过改造使这些社区建立连接。通过广泛深入的公众参与流程，项目收集了数千名孟菲斯居民的反馈意见，以确保该公园真正成为服务所有市民的共同场所。

公园以孟菲斯的英雄Tom Lee命名。1925年，在种族隔离的南方，Lee冒着生命危险救起了32名遇险者，他的无私行为至今仍激励着当地居民。然而，也必须正视他故事中所体现出的美国种族歧视的复杂历史。Tom Lee公园通过热情、开放的设计向他的精神致敬，同时也回应了孟菲斯在争取公平正义过程中的现实挑战。在这座以非裔人口为主的城市中，公园通过放大黑人社区的声音，营造出一个让所有人都有归属感的公共空间。

占地31英亩的Tom Lee公园沿密西西比河岸延展，标志着城市与河流关系的转折点。公园的布局以密西西比河动态水文特征为灵感，划分出不同功能分区，并将交通流线与地形变化有机结合，构建出展现河岸生态系统的多样化空间。地表之下，修复后的土壤系统支撑起一套新的植被框架，包括乔木、灌木、草本植物和多年生花卉。所选树种多为能够适应气候变化的乡土植物，其中包括数百棵橡树所形成的湿热环境中鸟类与昆虫的多样栖息地。

该项目是景观建筑师、建筑师与委托方密切协作的成果。公园内设有木结构休憩构筑物、以河流为主题的游乐场和一系列景观元素，成为兼具休闲、教育与表演功能的多元趣味目的地。其中，“传粉者实验室”设有一处户外教室，供学生探索植物与昆虫之间的关系，并配有在设计过程中同步开发的课程内容。公园北端新增了一处无障碍出入口，位于Cutbank Bluff，可与重要的公共交通线路与市政空间连接。

委托方邀请了两位非裔艺术家创作公共艺术作品。公园中心设有永久性装置“倾听的纪念碑”，由32座玄武岩座椅组成，象征Tom Lee所救的32条生命，旨在引导人们围绕Lee的精神遗产与彼此之间的关系展开对话。另一位艺术家的作品则改编自其2017年画作《民主实验》。作品将篮球场转化为一幅位于“日落树冠”之下的彩色壁画。“日落树冠”献给Tyre Nichols——这位孟菲斯本地的非裔男子于2023年遭当地警察暴力致死。

这项对黑人文化与记忆的投入，向所有孟菲斯市民发出明确信号：你属于这里。

▲属于你的公园：该公园连接了孟菲斯市中心与田纳西州十大最贫困地区中的七个，是周边社区不可或缺的公共设施，A Park Where You Belong: The park links Memphis’ downtown with 7 of the top 10 poorest zip codes in Tennessee. It is an essential amenity for surrounding neighborhoods© Photo: Memphis River Parks Partnership; Map: SCAPE

▲盛大的欢迎：开园庆典以铜管乐队、福音合唱团和满溢的市民自豪感庆祝孟菲斯的黑人文化，Radical Welcoming: The opening celebrated Memphis’ Black culture with a brass band, gospel choir, and an outpouring of civic pride© Daniel Rose

▲孟菲斯体育广播名人Jarvis Greer说道：“这才是公园重开的正确方式！”：居民沿新建无障碍步道列队入园。政界人士、本地企业等共同庆祝这一成就，”This is how you reopen a park!” -Jarvis Greer, Memphis Sportscasting Icon: Residents paraded down the newly accessible walk to open the park. Politicians, local businesses, and more celebrated a sense of joint achievement© Allen Gillespie and Memphis Tourism

▲ “走向河流”：曾经遭受忽视与资金撤离，甚至被用作城市垃圾场的滨水地带，如今已成为与孟菲斯密切联系的区域性休闲目的地，”Come to the River”: Once a disinvested and overlooked waterfront—and even at one point a city dump—Tom Lee Park is now a regional destination with deep ties to Memphis© Connor Ryan

▲英雄Tom Lee：公园以孟菲斯英雄Tom Lee命名。设计体现了他无私的精神，同时也正视其故事中所承载的美国种族歧视现实，Tom Lee, a Hero: The park is named after Tom Lee, a Memphis hero. The park is imbued with his generosity, while also recognizing his story as one of discrimination© Left: Church Health; Right: Memphis River Parks Partnership

▲“倾听的纪念碑”：这一永久性艺术装置围绕归属与歧视的主题展开，邀请访客彼此交流、共同倾听，A Monument to Listening: A permanent art installation confronts themes of belonging and discrimination by inviting visitors to sit with each other in conversation© Left: John Donnelly; Right: Connor Ryan

▲“日落树冠”：公园的主要活动空间由Tyre Nichols的家人命名，以纪念这位孟菲斯本地人。树冠表面图案由一位出生于孟菲斯的艺术家设计，Sunset Canopy: The park’s main event space was dedicated to Tyre Nichols by his family. The canopy has a surface pattern designed by a Memphis-born artist© Tom Harris

▲扩展的《民主实验》：在“日落树冠”下方，一幅大型艺术作品以丰富色彩邀请人们在篮球运动中相聚，Democratic Experiment, Expanded: Below Sunset Canopy, a large artwork is a colorful invitation to convene over a game of basketball© Left: Shelton Hawkins; Right: Brad Howe

▲激活密西西比河：公园提供丰富的活动项目，激发欢乐与归属感，Animating the Mississippi: The park offers a wide variety of programming, sparking joy and a sense of belonging© Tom Harris

▲充满欢笑的公园：游乐场上的木质河流动物激发孩子们的冒险精神与快乐体验，A Park Full of Joy: Wooden river animals on the playground inspire adventure and delight© Left: Brad Howe; Right: Allen Gillespie and Memphis Tourism

▲人人可达：Cutbank Bluff提供了首个无台阶、符合美国无障碍标准的通往河流的无障碍通道，Access for All: The Cutbank Bluff provides the first step-free, ADA-compliant access to the river© Tom Harris

▲模拟河流动态：交通流线与地形变化共同塑造了贯穿整座公园的户外空间与体验，River Dynamics: Circulation and topography shape outdoor rooms and experiences along the length of the park© Top: SCAPE; Bottom: Connor Ryan

▲恢复的滨河树冠美景：修复后的生态系统作为密西西比候鸟迁徙路径上的重要驿站，提供了丰富的鸟类与昆虫栖息环境，A Riverine Canopy is Restored: Replenished ecosystems support a vast array of bird and insect life at a key stopover point in the Mississippi Flyway© John Donnelly

▲在景观中学习：景观建筑师为孟菲斯当地学生开发了一套课程，帮助他们了解公园生态系统，Learning with the Landscape: A curriculum was developed by the landscape architect for Memphis students to learn about the park’s ecology© Curriculum: SCAPE; Photos: Memphis River Parks Partnership

▲传粉者之家：“传粉者实验室”为公园访客和各年龄段学生提供亲密空间，以了解植物与昆虫之间的关系，A Home for Pollinators: The Pollinator Lab is a more intimate space for park-goers and students of all ages to learn about the relationships between plants and insects© Brad Howe

PROJECT NARRATIVE

Located on a great bluff, Memphis has been defined by its relationship to the Mississippi River for centuries. However, like many American cities, it turned its back on the then-industrial waterfront. For years, Tom Lee Park was an unremarkable swath of compacted turf—at one point, it was even used as a city dump. In a 2017 master plan, Tom Lee Park—Memphis’ most visible and accessible riverfront park—was identified as an opportunity for creating a space where all Memphians could engage with each other and the Mississippi year-round, as a critical link in an emerging system of waterfront parks.

Inclusivity drove every aspect of the design. The park is located between downtown Memphis and some of Tennessee’s poorest zip codes. The redesign was an opportunity to create a shared public space for people across demographics that links to these neighborhoods. Through an intensive public engagement process, the client collected feedback from thousands of Memphians to ensure the park serves as common ground for all residents.

The park is named after Tom Lee, a Memphis hero. Lee’s act of compassion in the segregated South is a source of local pride and inspiration for Memphians—yet it is important to recognize the complex history of discrimination in his story. Tom Lee Park honors Lee’s legacy with a design that is abundant and welcoming, while also acknowledging the full truth of Memphis’ struggle toward equity. In a majority Black city, Tom Lee Park highlights the voices of Memphis’ Black community to enable a sense of belonging in the park for all.

Extending 31 acres along the Mississippi, the new Tom Lee Park signifies a turning point in the city’s relationship to the river. The park is organized into programmatic zones that mimic the dynamic hydrology of the Mississippi River, weaving together circulation and topography into spaces that showcase hardy riparian ecosystems. Beneath the park, a restored soil system underpins a new framework of trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials. Trees were selected to feature climate-adaptive native species, including hundreds of oaks, to support a vast array of bird and insect life in a wetter, hotter environment.

The park was a true collaboration between landscape architect, architect, and client. Sheltering structures made of timber, a river-themed playground, and landscape features create joyful destinations for recreation, education, performances, and more. The Pollinator Lab features an outdoor classroom for students to study the relationship between plants and insects, accompanied by a curriculum that was developed as part of the design process. At its northern end, the park introduces a new ADA-accessible entrance at Cutbank Bluff, connecting to key public transport and civic spaces.

The client commissioned two Black artists for public art pieces. At the park’s center is a permanent installation titled A Monument to Listening—a series of 32 basalt thrones, representing the 32 lives that Tom Lee saved. This piece is an invitation to hold dialogue about Tom Lee’s legacy and our relation to each other. The second artist’s piece is an adaptation of their 2017 painting Democratic Experiment, transforming a basketball court into a colorful mural underneath Sunset Canopy. The canopy itself is dedicated to Tyre Nichols, a Black man and Memphis native who was fatally assaulted in 2023 by Memphis police. This investment in Black culture and remembrance is a clear signal to all Memphians: you belong here.

Project Credits
Kate Orff, FASLA, Principal-in-Charge, SCAPE Landscape Architecture, Co-Design Lead, Landscape Architect
John Donnelly, Technical Principal, SCAPE Landscape Architecture – Co-Design Lead, Landscape Architect
Brad Howe, Principal, SCAPE Landscape Architecture – Co-Design Lead, Landscape Architect
William Tietje, Technical Director, SCAPE Landscape Architecture – Co-Design Lead, Landscape Architect
Studio Gang, Co-Design Lead, Master Planner & Architect
Memphis River Parks Partnership, Client
Montgomery Martin, Contractor
Rotolo Consultants, Inc., Landscape Contractor
Kimley-Horn, Civil Engineer
Thornton Tomasetti, Structural Engineer
Innovative Engineering Services, M/E/P Engineer
DataBased+, Sustainability Analysis
Randy Burkett Lighting Design, Lighting
Theaster Gates, Artist
James Little, Artist
Monstrum, Playground Designer
Applied Ecological Services, Ecological Consulting
Delta Fountains, Fountain Consultant
Olsson, Soils Consultant
Hines, Irrigation Consultant

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