Road to Renewal
Atlanta has had a history of tearing down and building new, Pinkham says, but when there’s an opportunity to reimagine an existing building with good bones and infrastructure, more developers than ever are looking to seize the opportunity. Historic buildings come with a certain character and authenticity that today’s travelers seek more often, which makes adaptive reuse so appealing, Pinkham explains. “You can’t build character. You can’t construct authenticity. It’s innate in a building,” he says. “Once you tear that building down, you effectively destroy it. You can try and imitate it, you can use reclaimed wood, you can use certain materials that suggest a reborn past, but only with the actual reuse of a historic building can you really maintain that character.”
Other reinvention projects driving change in downtown Atlanta include the transformation of the historic Candler Building from an office into a 265-room boutique hotel under Hilton’s Curio Collection, as well as the redevelopment of the iconic Flatiron building into a hub for tech startups. Georgia State University, which makes up a large portion of downtown, is also buying up a lot of real estate to expand its campus, and is in negotiations to acquire Turner Field when the Atlanta Braves move up north to a new ballpark in Cobb County. This all builds on the momentum of major redevelopment efforts in the Luckie-Marietta District, which is home to the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic Park, the Center for Civil and Human Rights, and other leisure and tourist attractions. Needless to say, with a healthy mix of new construction and renovation projects underway, downtown development is ramping up. “You’re seeing a lot more hospitality product built in the area,” Pinkham says. “Downtown is really having a bit of a rebirth.”
When Portman first developed 230 Peachtree in 1965, he commissioned a Robert Helsmoortel sculpture for the front plaza that was titled “Renaissance” to symbolize Atlanta’s renewal. The sculpture is long gone, but 230 Peachtree is once again helping spark urban renewal. The plaza is now anchored by a modern, abstract sculpture by Portman, inspired by the female form. Cast in stainless steel and mounted on a granite pedestal, “Belle” grabs the attention of passersby on Peachtree Street. And, with its reflective qualities, it’s destined to become a popular photo-op in the city.
The original front plaza was clean and open, but as the building changed hands over the span of 50 years, additive elements diminished Portman’s original design intent, explains architect Rob Halverson, vice president and senior project manager for John Portman & Associates (JPA). “That just completely ignored the urban impact and what it was supposed to do—create a community space,” Halverson says. “Mr. Portman always talks about people and how the inside and outside interact together. He said to me, ‘That’s what happens when someone doesn’t care.’”
The adaptive reuse of 230 Peachtree marks the first time Portman has revisited one of his projects. Legacy aside, the fact that the project involved completely changing the typology of the building, rather than just a straightforward renovation, also piqued Portman’s interest in tackling it. “He wasn’t taking an office building and making it an updated office—he completely transformed what it was into something new,” Halverson says. This gave Portman a chance to reinforce his architectural philosophy with his team. “I enjoyed working with Mr. Portman on this project because it was so personal to him,” Halverson says. “My responsibility is to make sure the Portman aesthetic and his vision is executed at a very high level.”
