There Sixth largest pyramid in the world It is not found in Egypt nor in Central America But but in the United States: we are talking about the Memphis pyramid, also known as Pyramid Arena or Great pyramid of America. Located in the heart of Memphis on the banks of Mississippi, inside this high building 98 meters and covered with metal panels, however, there is no casino or a luxury hotel but … a shop for articles for hunting And fishing. In fact, one of the largest stores in the chain was made at its Inter Bass pro shopseven if in the past this place, with a capacity of 20 142 seats, hosted games of NBAbig concerts and even a boxing match between Mike Tyson And Lennox Lewis.
The characteristics of the Pyramid Arena
The pyramid is located in Pinch District Of Memphis, in Held. This imposing structure, as anticipated, is the Sixth pyramid highest in the world And it is covered with stainless steel panels. On the ground floor there is the central body of the shop, complete with high window cypresses 30 meters It is an artificial tin with fish and small alligator. Even if made only later, there is also a elevator that allow you to reach the topwhere there is a restaurant.
The choice to create this building from 65 million dollars Piramide has to do with the so -called “Egittomania“, A very popular trend in the past decades that aimed as for buildings and monuments that somehow recalled the ancient Egypt. If we also think of the name of the same city of Memphis originates from Menfi, The ancient Egyptian capital, and sometimes Mississippi is nicknamed “The American Nile“.
The story of Memphis’ pyramid
The pyramid was not initially conceived to host a shop but rather as a arena for concerts and sporting eventsmainly linked to the world of basketball and boxing. Think that at the time he could count to 20 142 seated and for 13 years this was the seat of Memphis Tigers, The basketball team of the city university. Between the 2001 and the 2004 It was also the team seat NBA of the Memphis Grizzlies and hosted not only the highly followed wrestling event St. Valentine’s Day Massacre: in Your Housebut also the famous boxing match between Mike Tyson And Lennox Lewis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yofj65ybceg
Basketball, however, was also the cause of the decline of the pyramid: in those years the NBA was becoming an increasingly consolidated reality and this center was no longer up to the new standards. The Grizzlies then made a new stadium, inaugurated in 2004 and in which the Tigers soon moved, leaving the pyramid empty. Over time this location was used to host sporadically concerts And other live events, but the more time passed and the more everyone realized that a drastic change was necessary.
Fortunately in 2010 the franchise of hunting and fishing shops Bass pro shops He announced that he wanted to buy the pyramid and turn it on in the largest store of the company. The new center was inaugurated in 2015 and to date it has an annual turnover that oscillates among the 45 and 55 million dollars.
