When the Atlanta Journal Constitution decided to ditch downtown Atlanta for new digs in Dunwoody a couple years back, they bestowed their 1972 headquarters upon the City of Atlanta, which at the time reported plans for fire and police training facilities and/or possibly GSU uses in the somewhat dreary structure. Fast forward to today, and 72 Marietta Street houses the Department of Watershed Management in only a small amount of its total space. Exciting stuff. Given that the city's official arts space went bye-bye with the sale of City Hall East, the street level of 72 Marietta made sense for a new gallery, so the city put together an architectural competition for just that purpose. The winning design by Stanley, Beaman and Sears makes dramatic use of $100,000, with the building's recessed corner serving as a focal point that's intended to draw passerby inside to shiny new dual galleries. It's unlikely that most people will the get the feature's railroad and printing press references, but that's okay. Anything that's meant to reflect optimism and progressiveness after the crash and burn of the T-SPLOST is a-ok in our book.
· Stanley, Beam & Sears Announced Winners of RE-DESIGN Competition [CAP]
· Gallery Design Competition [Stanley, Beaman & Sears]