Architecture of Atlanta

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An example of architecture in Downtown Atlanta.

The Architecture of Atlanta has seen works by most major U.S. firms and some of the more prominent architects of the 20th century, including Michael Graves, Richard Meier, Renzo Piano, and soon, Santiago Calatrava and David Chipperfield. Atlanta's most notable hometown architect may be John Portman whose creation of the atrium hotel beginning with the Hyatt Regency Atlanta(1968) made a significant mark on the hospitality sector. A graduate of Georgia Tech, Portman's work reshaped downtown Atlanta with his designs for the Atlanta Merchandise Mart, Peachtree Center, the Westin Peachtree Plaza, and SunTrust Plaza.

Arts facilities have led the way for modernists in Atlanta architecture with the sleek white High Museum designed by Richard Meier with a new (2005) addition by Renzo Piano and the recent selection of Santiago Calatrava, known for his dramatic works, for the design of the new 300 million dollar Atlanta Symphony Center.[1] Michael Graves' post-modern style is exhibited in his Ten Peachtree Place office building in Midtown and the Michael C. Carlos Museum on the campus of Emory University. The 50 story One Atlantic Center was designed by Philip Johnson in association with John Burgee. London-based David Chipperfield was recently selected to develop a new residential high-rise across Peachtree Street from the Graves / Piano buildings of the High Museum of Art.

Atlanta also has its own Flatiron Building, built in 1897, five years before the more famous Flatiron Building in New York City (1902). Another historic building of architectural importance to Atlanta is the Fox Theatre, which was saved from demolition in 1974.

[edit] Atlanta Architectural Scene

Atlanta is home to a number of progressive architecture firms, including the award-winning, internationally acclaimed Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects (formerly Scogin, Elam and Bray) [2]. Major commercial commissions are typically dominated by large corporate firms such as Heery International, Stevens and Wilkinson, Perkins and Will, Smallwood Reynolds and Associates, and TVS (Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates). Smaller, contemporary practices include Carlos Tardio Architecture, BLDGS[3], G+G Architects, Plexus R+D, Alloy Projects, and Dencity Design[4].

The Young Architects Forum of the local AIA [5] is an active sponsor of meet-ups, competitions, and exhibitions. The Georgia Institute of Technology College of Architecture [6] hosts regular lectures and symposia of interest to students and professionals. The Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) as a sister school to tech is the only 5-year professional undergraduate architecture school in the state of Georgia. SPSU also hosts lectures and has a new architecture building that has a gallery space displying architecture exhibitions.

[edit] Skyscrapers

The 1980s represented a real-estate boom period for Atlanta and the beginning of significant development in the Midtown area of Atlanta. Consequently, most of the largest buildings in Atlanta were completed in the late 80's and early 90's. The ten tallest buildings in Atlanta are:

Bank of America Plaza (the "Pencil Building", aka the "unfinished Building") [7]
SunTrust Plaza [8]
One Atlantic Center (the "IBM Tower") [9]
191 Peachtree Tower [10]
Westin Peachtree Plaza [11]
Georgia Pacific Tower [12]
Promenade II [13]
BellSouth Building [14]
1180 Peachtree [15]
Four Seasons Hotel [16]

The Marriott Marquis Hotel [17] by John Portman is also notable for its bulging base, and is therefore often jokingly known as the "pregnant building" for its odd shape.

After a lull caused by the 2001 recession, Atlanta's building boom has started again. 1180 Peachtree Street, also known as the Symphony Tower [18] was completed in early 2006. There has been extensive development in the Midtown area, especially the residential high-rise sector.