JOHN MERRITT

THE WORKS - Atlanta, Georgia

The Works will be a mixed use development in the bohemian West side of Atlanta.  This project will re-purpose former warehouse structures in the same spirit of post-industrial chic as Granary Square in King’s Cross.  The scheme shown here was my proposal for the first phase of this project: a long, narrow paseo between two rows of existing buildings being re-configured.  Since this 30-foot-wide space was so narrow relative to its 500-foot length, there needed to be an efficiency in the design to allow for free movement of (hopefully) large numbers of guests while still having program elements along this length to complete the experience.  That the grade drops across this width in two three-foot intervals making three ten-foot wide strips, the paseo feels even narrower.  The basic composition is a straight, central spine with retail spaces, places of respite, and entries to the buildings branching from it.  To treat this landscape as a stage for the adjacent architecture and to unify this space, I tried to create a balance of three primary materials:  exposed aggregate concrete, weathering steel, and railroad timbers.  Each of these materials serves a different purpose at various moments in the scheme.  The exposed aggregate concrete would be the primary material for the horizontal planes -- the walkways, access ramps, parking lot and perhaps even the bar top in an outdoor tavern.  The weathering steel could be used for stair risers, curb faces, and low planters containing perennials and ornamental grasses.  The railroad ties would be used to create tree planters, retaining walls and seat/steps.  A rhythm of these ties integrated into the pavement plays off the decommissioned spur that feeds into the railroad tracks nearby and references the history of Atlanta as a railroad terminus.

Office:  Site Solutions
Status:  Proposal
Design and 3D Modeling:  John Merritt
Rendering Assistance:  Sushmitha Sunder

Precedent Studies

Taking a look at some other streetscape and post-industrial landscapes, I was curious how other landscape architects used long, continuous edges to bring energy to their respective projects.