One of World's Largest Geometric Pieces is Being Saved in ATL

For many Atlantans, Fulton Industrial Boulevard might conjure images of big efficient warehouses, the birthplace of SweetWater beer or the "hourly entertainment" industry. So it's a little surprising to hear from a group called the Boulevard Community Improvement District (BCID) that says one of the world's largest examples of geometric sculpture exists in Atlanta, right off the FIB. What's more, they're busy bringing it back to its midcentury glory right now.

The sculpture, called "Atlanta Gateway," was the first mega-sized commission for world-renowned artist Peter Forakis in the late 1960s. Built of hundreds of feet of tubular steel, the sculpture was the centerpiece of the largest public collection of monumental contemporary art in the world when the FIB debuted 50 years ago. According to a BCID spokesperson, when the area slipped into economic decline, most of the other 30 sculptures were either scooped up by private collectors or simply vanished. "The Gateway sculpture is the only piece that remains of the area's vibrant past," the group tells Curbed. The BCID art saviors began restoration on April 7 and expect to finish this month. Expect a drone video soon, too.

· Boulevard Improvement District [Website]
· Reader Makes Compelling Case for Historic Adams Park [Curbed Atlanta]