Saturday, November 17, 2012

Jewel Box Lobby #3 the William-Oliver Building

It's a condo now, you can't just walk into it's jewel box lobby. You can knock and ask the guard. That's what I did.

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"...the Deco style sold. And it was the Beaux-Arts architects that evolved into the leading Art Deco designers...

"Pringle and Smith.returned to the prime real estate of Five Points to present their masterpiece of Art Deco design William-Oliver Building at Five Points, (1930)....

"...The tan brick and comparably colored ornamental panels bring a monochromatic plainness to the building, but the ornament sparkles..."  - Robert M. Craig, The Architecture of Francis Palmer Smith, Atlanta's Scholar Architect


The promising entrance is on Peachtree at the northeast corner of the building.

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This is the vestibule. I couldn't get the smile off my face for 24 hours: white, tan/orange, black, and purple stone with brassy brass.

Though it's shiny and showy, the lighting is subdued. You don't feel like YOU are on display, know what I mean?

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The transom looking from the lobby toward ceiling medallion of the vestibule.

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Look up. I've been chuckling about the ceiling for five days. From here it looks like the most elaborate picture frame.

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Are modern lobbies this exuberant?

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I wonder who did the ceiling.

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There are two kinds of medallions, this it the polychrome.

 P1130745-2012-11-14-William-Oliver-Building-lobby-elevator-floor-indicator-dial-detail
The elevator dial still works.

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It was named after developer Thomas G. Healey's grandsons William and Oliver.

P1130762-2012-11-14-William-Oliver-Building-vestibule-to-lobby-TK-detail
I think a lobby like this is good the disposition. It is for mine.

See more Francis Palmer Smith jewel box lobbies:

6 comments:

  1. I'm glad you were able to get in there! The ceiling murals are heavenly!

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  2. wonderful colors and style, thanks for your blog.

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  4. Didn't know we had that kind of architecture here in Atlanta...at first glance, I thought maybe you were in the Chrysler Building in NYC. Thanks for sharing, Terry!

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  5. I live here - and have for over ten years - because of that amazing deco lobby. I keep begging the board to tend to the ceiling murals ...we have water-leak issues, and it's really looking shabby.

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