UrbanAmerica collaborated with Gensler to renovate the entire ground floor of 75 Piedmont Avenue, an office building that is deeply rooted in Atlanta’s historic African-American business community of Sweet Auburn.
The lobby renovation consisted of new ceramic tile floors, wood paneling, fabric panels, drywall ceilings with light soffits, a security desk, a new exterior storefront, a timeline art wall, a backlit historic photograph mural cased with wood paneling, and decorative lighting.
Special Design Feature
To create a lasting visual impression from multiple perspectives, a single photo was enlarged and divided (via wood panels) to become one of the primary elements of the lobby. The sepia tone of the photographs and warm wood tones of the paneling give the backlit mural a historic feel, while the size of imagery conveys the importance of the founders’ courage and vision.
Design/Construction Challenge
As with any second-generation tenant space or lobby, unknown conditions surfaced throughout the project. In the case of 75 Piedmont (which was built in the 1960s), almost all of the building’s systems did not meet today’s modern standards. Old systems were brought to building code standards without affecting the architect’s design intent.
