ATLANTA—When Midnight Sun opened in Peachtree Center almost 50 years ago under the eye of its creator, John C. Portman, Jr., cuisine, culture and cosmopolitan flair converged in a restaurant experience. This December, the JP Atlanta, John Portman’s latest and most transformative addition to the continuing resurgence of the central-city environment, will open.
The Midnight Sun offered classic Danish haute cuisine prepared by Danish chefs to legions of discerning guests in a space of mid-century design. JP Atlanta will bring a modern interpretation of the Midnight Sun experience back to Downtown Atlanta in a building undergoing its own resurgence. 230 Peachtree, which Portman first designed and developed in 1965 as part of his Peachtree Center complex, has been reacquired for adaptive reuse. John Portman & Associates will once again design a signature restaurant space within the building which will also be home to a new 203-room Hotel Indigo hotel, Atlanta’s fourth location for the boutique hotel brand, set to open in December 2015.
“The Midnight Sun came at a time when sophisticated fine dining in a continental setting was all but unknown here,” recalls Portman, who continues as founder and chairman of Portman Holdings and John Portman & Associates. “But our vision for Atlanta then, as it is now, was one of global reach, influence, and importance. That demanded a restaurant of international prestige and power, so that’s what we built,” Portman adds.
A new sculpture designed by Portman himself will be featured in the fully restored, fountain-accented public plaza through which JP Atlanta guests will arrive. As guests enter the building, a 20-foot tall skylight will greet them, along with white stone harkening back to the building’s original 1965 design. Another Portman signature, a grand staircase seemingly floating in space and a glass canopy-topped bar will greet guests checking in to the Hotel Indigo hotel. An array of artwork and architectural sculptures will offer guests an art gallery-like experience.
