Cobb County's tallest proposed tower gets a new, more refined look

Elevator giant thyssenkrupp’s proposed testing tower is expected to be something of an exclamation point in fast-urbanizing Cobb County.

Slated to ascend some 420 feet, the Fortune 500 company’s high-rise—part of its new under-construction North American headquarters—would be the tallest building in the suburban county.

And this week, officials from thyssenkrupp confirmed to Curbed Atlanta the tower, which would lord over the Atlanta Braves’s SunTrust Park, has a new design.

Last year, thyssenkrupp officials, with the design help of global architecture firm Gensler, unveiled renderings of the new office campus, showcasing a tall, thin building with a geometric shield of sorts on one side towering over a glassy, conventional-looking office stack.

Gensler, via thyssenkrupp

In the latest renderings, though, those angles are no more, and the tower stands straighter without many abstract elements.

The design of the office building below has also undergone some noticeable changes: It’s no longer a simple cuboid and now features a subtly curved rooftop and other new, minor accents.

Inside the tower, thyssenkrupp is planning to test-drive new elevator concepts, such as those that go not just up and down, but side-to-side.

The top three floors are expected to be reserved for special event space, with sprawling views of the city.

The less prominent office stack below would house thyssenkrupp’s business and engineering functions.

The potentially $200 million headquarters, according to a Gensler spokesperson, is still on track to deliver in 2021.

It’s under construction now, next to Interstate 285 and the pedestrian bridge spanning the freeway.

This story was updated to clarify that the new renderings were confirmed to be authentic by thyssenkrupp, not Gensler.