Downtown Atlanta office tower wraps snazzy reno to snag Midtown, Buckhead talent

A prominent downtown Atlanta office tower from 1975 has been gussied up in hopes of courting millennials and other talent from across the city.

Formerly called Centennial Tower, the distinctive, 36-story high-rise is known for the massive chevron up top that changes colors. Now, it’s also known as 101 Marietta Street.

Today, North Carolina-based The Dilweg Companies announced that a $5-million renovation has wrapped, launching “a new chapter” meant to lure companies who might otherwise choose pricier Midtown and Buckhead.

Changes are highlighted by a fresh, Perkins+Will-designed lobby with “a life-size, two-way virtual window offering real-time views of the streetscape and building interior,” collaborative spaces, and restaurant-style booths.

AIA Georgia recently bestowed a merit award on this facet of the project, officials said.

Photos courtesy of 101 Marietta Street

Elsewhere, upgrades include “a state-of-the-art conference center with training rooms [and] revitalized fitness center.” About 220,000-square-feet of office space is open.

Project leaders tout walkability to three MARTA stations from the building. Also, they note, it’s situated “within 10 minutes of the top six fastest-growing millennial neighborhoods in Atlanta,” per the release.

Here’s another interesting tidbit from the release:

Located within eyesight of the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 101 Marietta Street will ... offer unique branding opportunities for prospects looking to capitalize on the national TV coverage featuring Atlanta’s skyline.

A.J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, said the tower redo, and other refurbishing projects like it, is contributing to “unprecedented levels of investment in [downtown’s] major assets.”

Aspects of the renovation echo changes recently made to Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta’s tallest building, for all the same reasons.

Have a look around:

On the sixth floor, a new tenant lounge called “The Hub” has barstools, TVs, a pool table, couches, and a kitchen:

Back to the lobby:

A conference room:

The gym:

The building from afar, with The Gulch in the foreground: