Gateway Gardens

Gateway Gardens was a group studio project in which the cohort was paired with members of the historical preservation society and members of the Mt. Zion AME Church to re-imagine the church and its local community. Mount Zion AME is located in the historic Peacock Tract and fell victim to the impacts of urban sprawl following the construction of the I-85, I-65 interchange in Montgomery, AL. The church holds historical importance, as it was the location where Martin Luther King Jr. was elected to be the leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the church stood as the last place for the Selma to Montgomery marchers to use restrooms before continuing their 17-20 hour march. Leaders at the church requested help with creating a museum space within their historic church, upon further investigations and site visits, it was determined that a memorial sanctuary should be designed and implemented honoring those who were victims of violence during the Civil Rights Movement.