Art Deco: Wigwam Apartments

The Easter Bunny is on the prowl, spring is in the air, and pastel colors are everywhere - at least at the Wigwam Apartments that is. This recently renovated, Streamline Moderne group of buildings has long been one of my favorites. The Wigwam Apartments, now condos, are located in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta, one of the city's most interesting and history-rich neighborhoods. (See this blog for info from the owner/redeveloper of the Wigwam complex.)

I love how they've been fixed up, the colors are fresh and charming, and show off the architecture. My only criticism, as a landscape designer, is that I wish that that the landscape plantings tied in with the Streamline style a bit more! Love the palms with this architectural style.








***Coming back a day later to add this link to BlogbyKnight's flickr set. There are some amazing before and after shots showing just how far this property has come. And midway through the set there's a shot of a cool Heywood-Wakefield-ish vanity (fun!), near an ingenius frosted glass sliding pocket door. I'm filing that pocket door away on my mental list for later inspiration!

Art Deco: AT+T Building

Entry to the AT&T Communications Buildings (formerly the BellSouth Building), 51 Peachtree Center Avenue, NE, built in1929, by Marye, Alger and Vinour, Architects.

Here's a description, from this site:
"The base of what is now called the AT&T Communications Building in smooth-faced limestone features Art Deco flutings in very low relief and panels with intricate floral and geometric patterns. The elongated and sharply contoured entrance portal on Peachtree Center Avenue is surmounted by an elaborate keystone motif and flanked by stylized human figures (notice also the sharp eagle profiles and metal torcheres on the side). The ornamentation of the AT&T Communications Building was not particularly advanced for the late 1920s, when more colorful and abstract features had become the fashion in New York City."

The building is monolithic and rather dour from a distance, and certainly imposing. I like the fact that you have to slow down, and look up at it from the sidewalk to appreciate the carved friezes and the detail work.

One of the low-relief panels on the building.

One of a pair of torchiere light fixtures at the building entrance.

(click on photos to enlarge)

This site shows an over all image of the building - with the horrendous tower that was added later!