Photos: John Portman’s downtown Atlanta legacy

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Across 14 blocks, the buildings of Peachtree Center trace the growth of Atlanta—and one ambitious Atlantan’s vision—through the years.

By Michael Kahn Updated Jan 3, 2018, 12:00pm EST

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Looking up to the buildings and a skybridge. — A street-level view of Portman’s Peachtree Center.

Last week, Atlanta’s most prolific architect, John Portman, passed away at age 93, leaving a built legacy spanning downtown Atlanta (and far beyond).

His masterplanned vision for the heart of the city, realized in the form of Peachtree Center, spans 14 blocks.

These buildings, which include offices, hotels, retail, and restaurants, represent five decades of Portman’s work.

Connected by skybridges and eschewing streetfront retail in favor of inward-facing storefronts, the development has been criticized for alienating pedestrians and making parts of downtown uninviting, uninclusive places. His admirers will just as quickly argue Portman’s earlier work was simply responding to the context in an era of urban decay.

From Peachtree Street to Times Square, Portman’s architecture isn’t universally loved, but its sculptural beauty is nothing short of remarkable.