760 Ralph McGill Boulevard
Architect: Olson Kundig
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Type: Office, Retail
Year: 2021
Images: Proloog
The following description is courtesy of the architects. Olson Kundig is pleased to share the design of 760 Ralph McGill Boulevard, a new mixed-use high-rise development currently under construction along Atlanta’s BeltLine. Led by developer New City, LLC, this new 1.1 million-square-foot project includes office space and street-level retail organized around a central public plaza. The project, which is located on the site of a former Georgia Power operations center, also includes HKS as executive architect and Brasfield & Gorrie as general contractor.
“We’ve always felt this unique site gave us the opportunity to do something truly iconic,” says Jim Irwin, president of New City, LLC. “The new buildings expand local civic and cultural amenities, as well as introducing a modern new workplace for our future tenants.”
Designed to create new urban connections between Old Fourth Ward Park and the rapidly revitalizing Atlanta BeltLine corridor, 760 Ralph McGill Boulevard is organized around two portals. The first portal frames views of downtown, symbolizing a look towards the future, while the second portal connects to the historic Fourth Ward Park. The main plaza will connect to the planned light rail station on the BeltLine, and the building will incorporate a bike path that connects to the BeltLine Bicycle Trail and inner-city bike trails beyond. Last fall, it was confirmed that web-based marketing company MailChimp will be the project’s anchor tenant.
“We’re deeply honored by the opportunity to design a flexible, functional workspace that also serves the surrounding community,” says Olson Kundig principal and owner Tom Kundig. “This high-performing project merges a future-looking sustainability agenda for the city with a design that activates the public realm.”
Integrated sustainable design features will reduce energy consumption, address stormwater runoff and encourage alternate forms of transportation. The design team utilized extensive daylight and thermal modeling to create a custom façade that will enhance building performance while maintaining access to natural daylight and thermal comfort for occupants. High floor-to-floor heights and optimized floor plates further maximize spatial daylight autonomy. The building is targeting LEED® Gold Certification.
“The building and its dynamic central plaza create a new link between the historic Fourth Ward Park and the rapidly revitalizing BeltLine corridor,” adds Olson Kundig principal and owner Kirsten Murray, FAIA. “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.”
