Eco-friendly Welcome Center on its way to Memphis | Environment

(WMC-TV) – If you travel southbound on Interstate 55 frequently, you’re going to notice some big changes to the Welcome Center near the Mississippi State line.

The current Welcome Center is one of the oldest in the state, but won’t be around for very much longer. It’s going to be demolished to make way for a high-tech, Net Zero energy building that is designed to produce as much electricity as it uses. It will be the first building of its kind in the state.

However, art lovers don’t have to worry. The sculpture, titled “Pyradoptics,” will not be removed from the Welcome Center site. The piece, largely made of concrete and aluminum, was created by artist Tom Wuchina in 1987 and is a scale model of the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt.

The new Welcome Center is scheduled to open in late 2013.

Copyright 2012 WMC-TV. All rights reserved.