Edge Motor Museum — Winner, MBJ Building Memphis Awards

From the Memphis Business Journal (subscription required)

Edge Motor Museum — Winner

With the Edge District in the midst of a revival, one of its newest tenants has helped return the area to its automotive roots.

Located on Marshall Avenue, near the historic Sun Studio, sits a 12,000-square-foot building constructed in the 1920s. Since its inception, it has experienced many uses, from a car manufacturing facility to a potato chip factory to a guitar factory.

Its latest purpose brings the building — and the district — full circle.

Edge Motor Museum, owned and operated by Richard Vining, now calls the space home.

During the $1.3 million renovation process, efforts were taken to restore some of the building’s original features, including the exterior glazed tile. The façade remodel was made possible in part by support from the Downtown Memphis Commission.

Inside, the design is intended to be light, modern, and clean, with little flash; the cars add that piece. The unique, curved physical shape of the museum creates the perfect atmosphere to not only display cars but easily guide spectators through the building.

Measured steps were taken throughout the remodel to ensure the architecture and aesthetics did not overpower the stateliness of the antique cars. In a way, museum-goers are meant to experience the building without even noticing the backdrop. — Meagan Nichols

• Owner/Developer — 645 Marshall Ave. LLC (Richard Vining)

• Architect — Designshop PLLC

• Engineers — Fowler Engineering LLC; HNA Engineering PLLC; Burns Engineering; Gala Engineering Inc.

• Contractor — Montgomery Martin Contractors LLC

• Interior Designers — Designshop PLLC; Baby Grand

See updated images and learn more about this completed project here.