Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) was founded in 1968 to provide cross-cultural social services to inner city Memphians. The MIFA headquarters are located in a one-story, steel-framed 36,000 SF structure that was originally a 1960s-era grocery store. As MIFA's missions grew, the interior was subdivided into a confusing warren of small windowless rooms.
To fully accommodate MIFA's diverse program needs, the shell of the building was salvaged, but the interiors were completely gutted and built back new. Groups were arranged by function and related to each other by an internal street system featuring two interior skylight courtyards.
MIFA has survived in the building with donated furnishings and few alterations to the space, which lead to the development of the “MIFA Aesthetic.” That aesthetic was expressed in the renovation by a palette of very simple materials: unpainted concrete block walls; gyp board with aluminum reveals; fiberglass walls over exposed metal studs for borrowed light; natural finished wood doors; clear aluminum window frames, door frames and view lights; MDF paneling attached with exposed screws and radial rubber flooring.
A new horizontally banded brick and block wall with horizontal windows was constructed at the front of the building and the covered walkway was restored. Exterior concrete block pylons display the aluminum MIFA letters and serve as visual icons in the neighborhood.