Atlantic Station Central Park

Hines Development decided to transform and expand their 138-acre, mixed-use mega-destination, Atlantic Station to accommodate the growing demand of the market and to create a more pronounced, open, flexible and functional centralized greenspace that will continue to be a great place for public events for the mini-city. This is the first major renovation for the destination that has been referred as a city within the city. Hines selected HGOR to reimagine the mixed-use development’s Central Park, as well as its connectivity with the surrounding community, redefining it as an expanded living room—a place to gather and hold events for the community.

BREAKING THE GRID
The original design, which broke free from the traditional grid formation, provides multi-functional open space promoting walkability, social programming and flexible zones for a stay-and-play environment and creating a unique template for other multi-use districts throughout the metro-Atlanta area.

DESIGN PROCESS

HGOR’s design allows for a more integrated and inclusive area that introduces a larger multi-functional, programmable future-proofing space, allowing park users either to participate in different activities-still maintaining their social connection to other people—or to comfortably observe the activity and simply share the outdoors. The existing green lawn was raised to street level, and two smaller “jewel box” eateries were built to flank the lawn in an effort to make it feel more open, less massive, and bring the scale to a much more human level. The key to this project’s success was in promoting a more authentic and connected visitor experience at the street level.

The expansion entails 60,000 SF park improvements and 7,750 SF in the Central Lawn. Additional entertainment experiences are included such as interactive water features and an LED video screen for movie features. Updated furnishings and lighting help enhance the experience as well as unique signage throughout. Upon its completion in November of 2019, Atlantic Station has become an invaluable facet of the continued modernization and development of Atlanta.

CREATING A MEGA-DESTINATION

With limited space initially, the HGOR team was able to increase public open space and areas for programming by 40% and increase the activity turf in the central park to nearly 8,000 sq. ft.

Because of such forward-thinking and the implementation of creative design concepts, Atlantic Station has become a regional entertainment destination.

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