School gets dorm, design compromise
Board approves College’s request
Visible Music College found an angle in seeking permission to break a zoning rule for its planned new dorm. A triangle. And it worked because The Board of Adjustment on Wednesday approved the college’s request to build the dorm behind the main building and parking lot.
The college wants to build a five-story, 63-room dormitory behind both its building at 200 Madison and the existing 26-space parking lot beside the school. However, the Unified Development Code requires the dorm be built close to the sidewalk with no parking lot between the front of the dorm and the sidewalk.
That’s the kind of appropriate planning that creates pedestrian-friendly streets, a more appealing urban atmosphere along Downtown streets and applause from the architecture and planning community.
But maybe not in this case. Such by-the-rule positioning of the dormitory “would cause an uproar within the architectural and urban design community of Memphis and would reflect poorly upon Visible Music College,’’ states the school’s application for a zoning variance.
Here’s why: Visible Music College inhabits one of the city’s most famous pieces of a modern architecture, and placing the dorm beside it would block the view of its striking profile from the east.
Renowned Memphis architect Francis Gassner designed a triangular building for the headquarters that C&I Bank built in 1974. AIA (American Institute of Architects) Memphis honored the building
as the design of the decade in the 1970s.
The building has changed hands several times over the decades, and eight years ago was threatened with demolition by the Greater Memphis Chamber. Eventually, Visible Music College bought and renovated it in a way that preserves Gassner’s influential design.
The school has started a campaign to raise money for the $4.1 million construction project. About a tenth of the money has been raised so far. An anonymous donor will match any contribution up to $500,000.
About 100 of Visible’s 125 students live on “campus”; in recent years, campus housing has been a partnership with Fielder Square Apartments a few blocks away on Fourth Street.
By living on the actual campus, “students can have late-night access without leaving campus,” said college president and founder Ken Steorts. “... Even more will live on campus as we build this project. It will also be incentive for recruitment to Downtown Memphis.’’
The part of the dorms ground floor bordering the parking lot will open into a stage “so the parking lot becomes a music plaza,’’ Steorts said. “Pretty cool.’’
Archimania’s dorm design and choice of building materials will help frame the revered triangular building rather than compete for attention, Steorts said. “They took that into account and have dropped it in at the right height.’’