<Tr> <Th> Architect </Th> <Td> Rosser Fabrap International O.T. Marshall Architects (Bass Pro Shops improvements) </Td> </Tr> <P> The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142 - seat arena located in downtown Memphis, in the U.S. state of Tennessee, at the banks of the Mississippi River . The facility was built in 1991 and was originally owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County; Shelby County sold its share to Memphis in April 2009 . Its structure plays on the city's namesake in Egypt, known for its ancient pyramids . It is 321 feet (98 m) (about 32 stories) tall and has base sides of 591 feet (180 m); it is by some measures the tenth - tallest pyramid in the world . </P> <P> The Memphis Pyramid has not been regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue since 2004 . In 2015, the Pyramid re-opened as a Bass Pro Shops "megastore", which includes shopping, a hotel, restaurants, a bowling alley, and an archery range, with an outdoor observation deck adjacent to its apex . </P> <P> The "Great American Pyramid" was conceived originally by Mark C. Hartz, a Memphis artist in about 1954 . The project originally included three pyramids located on the south bluffs of Memphis overlooking the Mississippi River . The largest of the three would have been two - third scale of the Great Pyramid of Giza near Memphis, Egypt; the flanking structures would have been scaled at two - thirds the size of the main pyramid . The project languished for three decades until Mark's younger son, Memphian Jon Brent Hartz, resurrected the concept . Mark C. Hartz, who was well known for his architectural renderings, rendered a new bronze glass - glazed pyramid . After years of negotiations, the younger Hartz's concept was adopted by entrepreneur John Tigrett as a symbol for the city of Memphis . The groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 15, 1989 and the building was opened on November 9, 1991 . </P>

What was the pyramid in memphis before bass pro
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