Olson Kundig has unveiled the design of 760 Ralph McGill Boulevard, a new mixed-use high-rise development situated along Atlanta’s BeltLine. Led by project developer New City, LLC, the 1.1 million-square-foot structure will include office and retail spaces organized around a central plaza. The project expands local civic and cultural amenities, and introduces a new flexible and functional workplace that also serves the surrounding community.
Located on the site of a former Georgia Power operations center, the project is designed to create new urban connections between Old Fourth Ward Park and the Atlanta BeltLine alley. The project is organized around two portals, the first frames the downtown area, while the other frames the historic Fourth Ward park. In terms of transportation access, the central plaza will have a connection to Beltline's light rail station and will incorporate a bike route that links the BeltLine Bicycle Trail with the inner-city trails.
The project will also include integrated sustainable design features that aim to reduce energy consumption and encourage alternate forms of transportation, as it is targeting LEED® Gold Certification. The design team employed extensive daylight and thermal modeling to create a custom façade that amplifies the building's performance while maintaining a flood of natural daylight and thermal comfort. The team also included floor-to-ceiling glass panels and optimized floor plates to further maximize spatial daylight autonomy.
The building and its dynamic central plaza create a new link between the historic Fourth Ward Park and the rapidly revitalizing BeltLine corridor. This project showcases Atlanta’s position as a leader in innovation, as well as its vision for a walkable, livable business district that responds to the evolving needs of office tenants. -- Kirsten Murray, FAIA, Olson Kundig principal and owner
Seattle-based Olson Kundig is a collaborative design practice whose portfolio includes cultural projects, exhibition design, commercial, mixed-use, and residential spaces. The practice's projects are eco-driven and innovative, finding new ways to think sustainably. In late 2019, the firm has designed a new sustainable option for after-death care. The project is considered as the world’s first facility for converting human remains into soil, a flagship building for Recompose in Seattle.
