Life on the River Playground by MONSTRUM Playgrounds

Built in 2023 / 2025 Built Landscapes / 2025 Entries / 2025 Public Projects / USA /
monstrum.dk

Tom Lee Park in Memphis has been transformed by Studio Gang and SCAPE into an expansive recreational area along the riverfront, reconnecting Memphians with the Mississippi River. Once a predominantly industrial zone, the park is now a signature public space and a popular gathering spot, offering locals renewed access to the water’s edge.

As part of the park’s inclusive programming, MONSTRUM designed and built a vibrant series of playgrounds inspired by the wildlife of the Mississippi River—allowing the youngest visitors to engage with the life of the river through imaginative play. The play structures are crafted from FSC-certified wood, and at our workshop in Denmark, we prioritize processes that reduce carbon emissions, aligning with our commitment to sustainability.

The playground consists of five linked zones, each featuring animals or natural elements integrated into the landscape, guiding children on a journey of discovery. Embankment slides lead visitors from the elevated walkway down into the play areas, creating a fun and fluid transition between spaces—one of many thoughtful landscape elements that unify the park.

Children follow a meandering river path from the playful mother and baby otters, past piles of wooden logs beside a sturgeon and caterpillar, and onward to a curious salamander nestled among towering cypress trees.

At the heart of the playground, the two giant otters have become iconic landmarks. The largest stands nearly seven meters tall and offers a thrilling climb, encouraging adventurous kids to scramble from the otter to the cypress tree before launching down an enormous tube slide. The baby otter provides a gentler option, with a smaller slide and an accessible staircase featuring rubber grips for children of all abilities.

The other play zones offer a variety of opportunities for imaginative and active play. Children of all ages are invited to climb, run, jump, balance, slide, and explore. The immersive design is both educational and inspiring—deepening the connection between Memphians and the living river that flows through their city.

The Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University published a case study titled Inclusive Placemaking: Tom Lee Park, Memphis, examining how Memphis River Parks advanced four key strategies during the design and opening of the park:
1. Design Equity and Excellence
2. Gradual Placemaking
3. Neighborliness and Safety
4. Partnerships

The case study highlights how these strategies fostered a public space that serves as common ground for all residents—centering the voices and experiences of Memphis’ Black community as a defining asset, and cultivating a sense of belonging, joy, and justice. The playgrounds contribute directly to this vision, serving as inclusive, accessible gathering places that bring people together across age, background, and ability.

In transforming a once-industrial stretch into a vibrant, inclusive riverfront landmark, this project redefines what public space can be—educational, ecological, and joyfully imaginative.

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:
SCAPE, Studio Gang

• All architecture offices involved in the design:
Studio Gang (master planner and architect)