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Colony Square - Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners

Colony Square

Atlanta, GA
Colony Square: ColonySq PLP ThePlaza Ext02 Copy
Iran Watson
Client
North American Properties
Size
360,000 SF
BBB’s vision for Colony Square transformed a mid-century office complex and covered mall into a dynamic open-air, mixed-use hub interwoven with new buildings and public spaces designed for the pedestrian experience.

Renewal of Colony Square, Atlanta’s original mixed-use development, pulls retail and dining closer to the street with new contemporary additions, repurposes underperforming spaces, and invites the public into the previously insular site. Two new office buildings, a food hall, and theater reestablish the site as “Atlanta’s living room.” Located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, Colony Square has become a cultural and entertainment destination within a burgeoning commercial, residential, and arts district.

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Courtesy of North American Properties
Courtesy of North American Properties (after)
Colony Square: ColonySq 20190508Phase Diagram01 expanded efit
Colony Square: 2605 ColonySq TheGathering20201008 Event42
Jenni Girtman/Atlanta Event Photography
Colony Square: 2605 ColonySq TheGathering20201008 Event02
Jenni Girtman/Atlanta Event Photography

A central challenge was to soften the hard edges and seemingly impenetrable buildings that make circulation through the complex difficult. BBB’s approach was to dissolve the barriers between Colony Square and the adjacent community by creating new physical and visual pathways—from the outside in and inside out—that reinforces connectivity and promotes an engaging pedestrian experience. These pathways are punctuated by new outdoor areas with varied seating and spatial configurations, most notably The Plaza, which formerly housed an enclosed shopping concourse with limited gathering spaces and low retail visibility.

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Iran Watson (after)
Colony Square: 2605 ColonySq Peachtree Ext02
Iran Watson
Colony Square: ColonySq Peachtree Starbucks Ext07
Iran Watson
Colony Square: ColonySq PLP Sculpture Ext05 Copy
Iran Watson

Phases 1 and 2 of the project concluded with the opening of The Grove, a 10,000 SF urban park, and revealed newly revitalized lobbies and retail identities for Buildings 100 and 400. Phases 3 and 4 added a dine-in cinema, food hall, new office buildings, and additional retail to Colony Square. BBB collaborated with Atlanta-based architect Lord Aeck Sargent on this project.

Visit https://colonysquare.design for more.

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Colony Square: ColonySq ThePlaza Ext06
Colony Square: ColonySq 20201116 Ext10
Colony Square: ColonySq PLP IceRink Ext02 Copy

In Construction

Project Credits

BBB Partner-in-Charge
Maxwell W. Pau
BBB Team
Carlos J. Cardoso
Hong Fang
Kyung Jae Yu
Sukwon Lee
Richard Metsky
Dai-Yi Ou
Executive Architect
Lord Aeck Sargent
Landscape Architecture
SITE Solutions, LLC
Structural
KSi Structural Engineers
Civil Engineering
Kimley-Horn
Lighting
Gabler-Youngston
Code/Life Safety
Code Consultants International (CCI)
Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing
Newcomb & Boyd
Contractor
Hoar Construction

Awards & Press

Urban Land Institute
ULI Atlanta Award for Excellence
Atlanta Urban Design Commission / Department of City Planning
Award of Excellence for Adaptive Use
AIA Georgia
Design Award for Renovation/Restoration/Adaptive-Reuse
Metropolis
After $400 Million Overhaul, Atlanta’s Mixed-use Colony Square Can Finally Breathe
World Architecture News
Beyer Blinder Belle revives Atlanta’s mid-century mixed use complex
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Colony Square set to reopen restaurants, launch new greenspace
Atlanta Magazine
After 50 Years, Is Colony Square Finally Ready to Grow Up?