At Buckhead’s Charlie Loudermilk Park, Portman-designed sculpture is ready

It’s a big week for significant pieces of public art in Atlanta.

First, Atlantans got a glimpse of the rather incredible falcon sculpture—the largest freestanding bird statue in the world, it turns out—recently erected at the main entrance to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

And tomorrow, the Buckhead Community Improvement District will officially unveil a sculpture by famed local architect and developer John Portman at the reimagined Charlie Loudermilk Park.

Called “Aspiration,” the 12-foot, stainless-steel piece is meant to symbolize Buckhead’s past and future. It’ll be a highlight attraction at the renovated, triangular greenspace, which debuted in 2015 (complete with a bell tower) in a configuration more suitable for public use.

In a statement, Portman had this say:

“When my dear friend, Charlie Loudermilk, asked me to design a sculpture for his park, I knew that I wanted to represent the bonds the two of us share—friendship, of course, but also the shared commitment to our hometown, the great city of Atlanta ... Because of the significance of the site, the sculpture is also intended to recognize the continuing emergence of Buckhead as an important community in its own right, thus the title, Aspiration.”

Formerly known as Triangle Park, the greenspace was rechristened in honor of the Aaron’s founder and philanthropist in 2009. Loudermilk’s civic contributions have included founding and chairing the Buckhead Coalition.

Jim Durrett, BCID Executive Director, said the sculpture is merely the tip of the iceberg for “new and innovative artwork” being placed throughout Buckhead, a topic of discussion at recent BUCKHEAD REdeFINED meetings.

Other BCID projects on the horizon for 2017 include a Wieuca Road and Phipps Boulevard roundabout, Peachtree Road streetscaping and restriping, and continuing community outreach for the highway-capping, Park Over GA400 concept, officials said.

• Portman-designed sculpture coming to Loudermilk Park [Reporter Newspapers]