9 Iconic Architectural Landmarks of Atlanta

Despite being a young city, Atlanta has a distinct skyline visible from both Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Peachtree Street, the city's main thoroughfare. Aside from the downtown skyscrapers, the city's architecture ranges from the Victorian homes of historic Inman Park to reclaimed Depression-era industrial spaces to contemporary museums and stadiums. From the Westin Peachtree Plaza in the central business district to the Moorish-inspired Fox Theatre in Midtown, here are the city's most notable architectural landmarks.

The Westin Peachtree Plaza

The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, designed by Atlanta native John Portman and distinguished by its reflective windows and cylindrical shape, was the tallest hotel classical design in the world when it opened in 1976 and the city's tallest building until 1987. Visitors and locals alike flock to the Sun Dial, the hotel's rooftop restaurant, for panoramic views of the city.

Fox Theatre

Originally designed in 1929 as a home for the Atlanta Shriners, this historic Midtown movie theater was saved from demolition in the mid-1970s when it was designated a National Historic Landmark and transformed into a modern performance venue. Olivier Vinour designed the Moorish-inspired theater, which hosts over 250 performances per year, including touring Broadway shows like "Hamilton," live performances by popular musicians (Prince's last show was here), and the Atlanta Ballet's annual holiday tradition, "The Nutcracker." On Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, you can book a behind-the-scenes tour of the space.

Bank of America Plaza

Since its completion in 1982, the Bank of America Plaza has stood as the city's tallest structure, standing 55 stories and 1,023 feet tall. The structure was designed by the same Connecticut-based firm that was responsible for New York's Central Park Zoo. It is distinguished by its postmodern Art Deco style, reminiscent of the Empire State Building, and its gold-leaf covered, 90-foot spire.

Meredes-Benz Stadium

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, one of Atlanta's newest additions to the downtown landscape, is home to the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. The stadium, which opened in 1992, was replaced by the Georgia Dome in 2017. When fully extended, the new stadium's eight-panel retractable roof is designed to resemble bird wings, and its video board is the world's largest.

High Museum of Art

The High Museum's stately, white-enameled 135,000-square-foot main building, which opened in 1983, sits on a hill in Midtown Atlanta. The space was expanded with three additional, aluminum-clad buildings by Renzo Piano in 2005 and includes over 15,000 works in its permanent collection, ranging from European paintings to African-American art and 19th and 20th-century decorative art. It was designed by acclaimed architect Richard Meier, who won the 1984 Pritzker Prize for his work.

Ponce City Market

Ponce City Market, located in Atlanta's historic Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, is a 2 million-square-foot converted Sears, Roebuck & Company building from the 1920s that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city's largest adaptive reuse space, which opened in 2014 next to the Beltline Eastside Trail, includes an expansive food hall, local and national retail shops, a rooftop amusement park, office space, and high-end apartments.

Center for Civil and Human Rights

This downtown museum was designed by architecture firm HOK in collaboration with Philip Freelon, who is best known for designing the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The monument architecture design, which was inspired by urban spaces such as Washington, D.C.'s National Mall and Beijing's Tiananmen Square, is defined by two curved walls to symbolize human connection and includes a large plaza frequently used for community gatherings.

Swan House

This historic mansion, originally the home of Emily and Edward Inman, was built in 1928 by architect Philip Trammell Shutze and is now part of the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead. The home's elaborate main facade combines Renaissance and classical styles, and fans of the "Hunger Games" film series may recognize it: it served as President Snow's residence in the popular films.

Flatiron Building

Atlanta, indeed, has a Flatiron Building. It was built in 1897, five years before the building of the same name in New York City, which was designed by the same architect, Bradford Gilbert. The 11-story, wedge-shaped building is Atlanta's oldest standing skyscraper and is located in downtown Atlanta at the intersections of Peachtree, Poplar, and Broad Streets.