Pyramid Arena
| Memphis Pyramid | |
|---|---|
The Pyramid as seen in 2015
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| Former names | Great American Pyramid, Pyramid Arena |
| Alternative names | The Pyramid |
| General information | |
| Address | 1 Bass Pro Drive (formerly 1 Auction Avenue) Memphis, Tennessee, USA 38105 |
| Current tenants | Bass Pro Shops |
| Groundbreaking | September 15, 1989 |
| Opened | November 9, 1991 |
| Renovated | April 29, 2015 |
| Cost | US$65 million ($114 million in 2016 dollars) |
| Owner | City of Memphis |
| Height | 321 feet (98 m) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Rosser Fabrap International |
| The Pyramid | |
The Pyramid Arena, as seen from the Auction Avenue bridge in 2002.
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| Location | 1 Auction Avenue Memphis, Tennessee 38105 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°9′20″N 90°3′7″W / 35.15556°N 90.05194°WCoordinates: 35°9′20″N 90°3′7″W / 35.15556°N 90.05194°W |
| Owner | City of Memphis |
| Operator | SMG |
| Capacity | Concerts: 21,000 Basketball: 20,142 (1991–2001) 19,405 (2001–2002) 19,351 (2002–2004) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 15, 1989 |
| Opened | November 9, 1991 |
| Closed | 2004 |
| Reopened | November 2011 |
| Construction cost | US$65 million ($114 million in 2016 dollars) |
| Architect | Rosser Fabrap International |
| Structural engineer | Walter P. Moore & Associates, Inc. |
| General contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichols |
| Tenants | |
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Memphis Tigers (NCAA) (1991–2004) Memphis Pharaohs (AFL) (1995–1996) Memphis Grizzlies (NBA) (2001–2004) |
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The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis, in the U.S. state of Tennessee, at the banks of the Mississippi River. The facility was built in 1991 and was originally owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County; Shelby County sold its share to Memphis in April 2009. Its structure plays on the city's namesake in Egypt, known for its ancient pyramids. It is 321 feet (98 m) (about 32 stories) tall and has base sides of 591 feet (180 m); it is by some measures the tenth-tallest pyramid in the world.
The Memphis Pyramid has not been regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue since 2004. In 2015, the Pyramid re-opened as a Bass Pro Shops "megastore", which includes shopping, a hotel, restaurants, a bowling alley, and an archery range, with an outdoor observation deck adjacent to its apex.
The "Great American Pyramid" was conceived originally by Mark C. Hartz, a Memphis artist in about 1954. The project originally included three pyramids located on the south bluffs of Memphis overlooking the Mississippi River. The largest of the three would have been two-third scale of the Great Pyramid of Giza near Memphis, Egypt; the flanking structures would have been scaled at two-thirds the size of the main pyramid. The project languished for three decades until Mark's younger son, Memphian Jon Brent Hartz, resurrected the concept. Mark C. Hartz, who was well known for his architectural renderings, rendered a new bronze glass-glazed pyramid. After years of negotiations, the younger Hartz's concept was adopted by entrepreneur John Tigrett as a symbol for the city of Memphis. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 15, 1989 and the building was opened on November 9, 1991.
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