Slim & Husky's Pizzeria Memphis
Moody Nolan
Slim & Husky's Pizzeria Memphis
Moody Nolan
Awards Category : : Small Project (25,000 sf or less)
Located in the Edge District, Slim and Husky’s celebrates the diverse culture of Memphis in an environment designed to showcase Black history, music and art.
The restoration of the 95-year-old, 5,300 sf building into a retail restaurant breathes new life to a previously abandoned structure. Adaptive reuse strategies elevate the formerly abandoned building into a vibrant hub of social activity, while paying homage to the building’s architectural history. Preserving existing materials like wood joists, bearing walls, concrete floors, and exterior brick reduced the overall project cost and lowered embodied carbon. The existing brick façade is now white, serving as a canvas to feature installations by local artists and branding for the restaurant.
The interior is flooded with natural light and features concrete floors and exposed brick—natural textures to elevate the art anchoring the space. By leaving the existing brick and plaster exposed, visitors can connect to the history of the building. Mural installations from local artists depict musicians and athletes from Memphis, celebrating the history and culture of the city. The transparency of the space blends indoors and out, offering visitors a visual connection to the street and pedestrians an opportunity to see the activity within.
Date of Completion: December 2020
Client: Slim & Husky's
General Contractor: Fifer & Associates
Consultants:
MEP - innovativees llc, Jerimiah Watson, jwatson@innovativees-llc.com - 901.379.0500
Structural - Ozer Engineering, Dmitry Ozeryansky, dmitry@ozer-eng.com - 901.305.6540
Landscape\ Civil - The Bray Firm, David Bray, dgbray@comcast.net - 901.383.8668
Contractor - Fifer & Associates, Carlos Fifer, carlosfifer@fiferandassociates.com - 901.949.2177
Photography Credits:
1 - Vision statement, Site Plan, Floor Plans, and "Grill" mural. Photo by Aron Thompson. Graphics by Moody Nolan.
2 - Neighborhood Context site plan. Graphic by Moody Nolan.
3 - The building reactivates the pedestrian core of Union Street. Photo by Steve Austell.
4 - The white brick facade serves as a blank canvas for local artwork, such as this eye-catching mural by Jamond Bullock of Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies. Photo by Steve Austell.
5 - The existing 95-year-old building is given new life through intentional adaptive re-use strategies. Photos by Aron Thompson.
6 - The interior of the pizzeria integrates new with old, creating a dynamic space for the community to gather. Photo by Steve Austell.
7 - Mural installations from local artist Toonky Berry depict musicians and athletes from Memphis, celebrating the vibrant history and culture of the city. Photo by Steve Austell.
8 - Nia waits in the serving line and watches as her pizza travels through the oven. Photo by Steve Austell. Pizza photo by Mia Yakel. Cinnamon Roll photo from jjhhome.com.
9 - Customers enjoy pizza in the dining area. Photo by Steve Austell.
10 - The exterior brick, wood trusses, and concrete floors were intentionally left exposed to preserve the history of the building and reduce the building’s embodied carbon footprint. Photo by Steve Austell.
11 - The transparency of the space blends indoors and out, offering visitors a visual connection to the street and curious pedestrians an opportunity to see the activity within. Photo by Steve Austell.
12 - The walk-up window offers Slim and Husky’s the flexibility to accommodate guest preferences and remain operational during pandemic closings. Photo by Steve Austell.
13 - The second floor transformed into a new art gallery, featuring local
artist Jamond Bullock. Photo by Steve Austell.
14 - The windows are similar to windows found in brick warehouses of this building’s original era, blending old aesthetic with new. Photo by Steve Austell.
15 - Exterior gallery lighting casts a warm glow on the building at
dusk, creating a safe destination for people to visit. Photo by Steve Austell.