Transformed Powerhouse Anchors South Main Arts District
by Emily Trenholm

Even after Central Station’s successful rehabilitation in the late 1990s, many downtown residents and South Main visitors wondered about the unusual structure that stands directly west of the station at 45 G.E. Patterson. Despite its many attractive features—including large multi-paned windows on three sides—the building remained unoccupied and seemingly untouched, while much of South Main was being transformed into a thriving residential and arts district. Rumors circulated from time to time about plans for a nightclub or restaurant, but visitors to the building knew that the multi-level space would be difficult if not impossible to successfully redevelop for commercial use.
 
Today, in what may be one of Memphis’ most significant adaptations ever of an industrial structure, the Central Station power house has become a unique arts exhibition space, the Delta Axis Power House.
 
As its name suggests, the original power house was built in 1910 to provide steam to the Illinois Central Railroad trains that passed through Memphis and heat to Central Station and its office tower. Like much of the surrounding South Main and South Bluffs historic districts, the one-story brick building is utilitarian in style, with few embellishments to its industrial vernacular design. The power house has several significant features, however, including its many windows, some decorative brickwork on the north façade, and most notably, a 100-foot brick chimneystack.
 
On the interior, the north half of the 4,700 square-foot building is divided into two floors. The upper serves as a traditional gallery space and the lower holds a digital video gallery. The south portion, which originally contained a giant furnace, is a single exhibition space 40 feet tall.
   
When Delta Axis board president James Patterson first toured the building last year, it was dirty and full of old equipment—not what most people envision for a contemporary arts exhibition space. Yet when Patterson met with architect Coleman Coker, they decided along with other Delta Axis board members to retain nearly all of the building’s interior finishes and appearance, which feature multiple layers of paint and burn marks on the walls. “The industrial qualities of the building were one of the things that made it so compelling and unlike anything else,” says Patterson.
   
Coker is principal of the Buildingstudio architecture firm and was a partner in the renowned Mockbee Coker firm. In the building renovation, Coker and his colleagues added very little to the building’s interior; an “insert” of gallery walls was placed on the upper level, and a small kitchen and two bathrooms were added. In contrast to the rest of the building, these additions make use of more contemporary materials, with opaque glass used for the restroom walls and perforated metal panels enclosing the kitchen.
   
Because much of the Power House structure and interior was unaltered, the building’s rehabilitation was done on a fairly small budget. The Madison, Wisconsin-based Alexander Company, developers of Central Station, paid for a significant portion of the building’s improvements, including a new heat and air conditioning system. Contributions from local patrons helped with the renovation costs as well, and architect Coker donated his services. Memphis Area Transit Authority was also an important partner, providing a state-of-the art wheelchair ramp.
   
Delta Axis, a contemporary arts organization, will present four solo exhibitions each year in the Power House, with a goal of bringing artists with emerging national and international reputations to Memphis to exhibit their work and be inspired by both the building and the Delta region. The summer 2003 show will be Mark Quinn: Mirror, which will be exhibited from July 12 through August 30. Gallery hours are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
   
Not surprisingly, the Power House has become one of the newest and most unusual special event venues in Memphis, attracting the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the Memphis Heritage annual members meeting and other groups. The building will also be used by the Indie Memphis Film Festival, another Delta Axis initiative, to screen film and video works from inside and outside the region.