Historic Clayborn Temple

Tour by Self+Tucker Architects

AIA Continuing Ed: 1 LU/HSW (pending)

$10: AIA Memphis, Allied Members, & Lunitects

$15: General Public

Registration Required

AIA's Framework for Design Excellence

featured principle:

Design for Discovery

Every project presents a unique opportunity to apply lessons learned from previous projects and gather information to refine the design and construction process.

How can the design process foster a long-term relationship between designers, users, and operators to ensure design intentions are realized and the building project performance can improve over time?
How are performance data and experiential stories shared, even if the findings fall short of the vision?
How are lessons learned through construction administration shared to project teams?
What strategies promote a sense of discovery and delight?

Learn more about Design for Discovery >

Clayborn Temple has been a part of Memphis and American History since 1892. First built and opened as Second Presbyterian Church, in 1949 the building was sold to an AME congregation who changed the name to Clayborn Temple.

Because of its reputation in the community and proximity to City Hall, Clayborn was chosen as the organizing headquarters for The Sanitation Workers’ Strike of 1968, Martin Luther King’s last campaign. The campaign’s iconic “I AM A MAN” signs were made daily in Clayborn’s basement and have since become a universal symbol for human rights and dignity.

In 1999, Clayborn Temple closed and fell into disrepair, but it has since reopened and begun revitalization. Officially named a National Treasure in 2018 by The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Clayborn has come back to life with the promise of leveraging the stories of the past to tell the stories of our collective future.

Their mission, inspired by the 1968 Striking Sanitation Workers, is to continue the legacy of advancing human connection through storytelling, engagement, and practice. They do this by engaging in story, arts and culture, and embodying The Sanitation Workers’ declaration of humanity and dignity of black, poor, and working-class people.